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Is Our Understanding of the Fossil Record Flawed? New Research Reveals a “Flood” of New Insights that Challenge Old Ideas

How paleontologists interpret the fossil record could be set to change, as new research demonstrates that floodwaters alter the disposition of bones in ways that run counter to decades of understanding.

During flood events, dinosaur and mammal bones are transported from their original locations by raging waters and buried elsewhere before becoming fossils. Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities reported their discovery of flood-based fossil transport in a recent paper published in Paleobiology.

An Unpredictable Environment

Decades ago, scientists conducted foundational research that is still used to understand how water flow affects bone transport prior to fossilization. Unfortunately, that work was limited in scope, focusing solely on typical river-flow conditions and not accounting for periodic disruptions. Despite a lack of technical understanding of how flooding affects bone placement, researchers have repeatedly invoked flooding to explain animal burials.

The new work focuses on the types of singular flooding events that can greatly alter the disposition of materials in sediment. To better understand this, they tested how bones move under the unsteady flow dynamics common in natural sheet floods.

“Paleontologists try to piece together the stories of how fossil sites actually came to be, sort of CSI style,” said lead author Michael Chiappone, a University of Minnesota Ph.D. candidate. “So we asked ourselves: ‘Are fossil organisms preserved in the places where they died? Or are we finding them after they’ve been moved some distance after death by scavengers or water flow?’”

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Australia’s New Hate Speech Bill Is Reckless, Contradictory, and Repressive

On January 12, Australia’s Attorney-General Michelle Rowland stepped to the podium and announced what she called “the toughest hate laws Australia has ever seen.”

The government plans to push its Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 through Parliament on January 20, turning Australia’s speech laws into something that reads more like a psychological test than a criminal code.

We obtained a copy of the bill for you here (and the memorandum here.)

The same week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was praising Iranians “standing up for their human rights,” his government was preparing to criminalize speech at home even when no one’s rights or feelings had actually been touched.

The bill’s centerpiece is a new racial vilification offense. It bans “publicly promoting or inciting hatred” based on race, color, or national or ethnic origin, with penalties of up to five years in prison.

The measure’s core novelty is what it removes: proof of harm.

It’s “immaterial,” the draft says, whether “the conduct actually results in hatred” or whether anyone “actually” feels intimidated or fears harassment.

The courts will instead consider what a hypothetical “reasonable” member of the targeted group would feel, even if no such person exists in the case.

Prosecutors, the explanatory note clarifies, “would not be required to prove” any real fear at all.

The message: you can go to prison for causing theoretical discomfort in a theoretical person.

Rowland’s bill doesn’t stop at the town square or the street corner. It explicitly defines a “public place” to include any form of electronic communication, including social media, blogs, livestreams, recordings, and content posted from private property if the public can see it.

In other words, the living room webcam and the backyard podcast are now public arenas. A joke, a meme, or an overheard rant could be weighed for its impact on an imaginary “reasonable person” who never existed.

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Spain Punishes Homeowners: Selling Your Home Can Cost You Up to 40 % in Taxes

For years, Spain has promoted the idea that homeownership is the ultimate safe haven for family savings. What is rarely mentioned is that, when the time comes to sell, the State shows up with a bill that can swallow up to 40 % of the profit.

The hit begins with personal income tax. Capital gains are currently taxed at rates of up to 28 %, among the highest in Europe. But the blow doesn’t end there. Local governments impose the so-called municipal capital gains tax (plusvalía municipal), which taxes the supposed increase in the value of the land—even when the real profit is minimal or highly questionable.

Added to this is a crucial factor that the tax authorities deliberately ignore: inflation. In Spain, the original purchase price is not adjusted to reflect the loss of purchasing power over time. As a result, the State taxes as “profit” what, in many cases, is merely a nominal price increase.

Spain’s approach stands in sharp contrast to that of other countries. In the United States, for example, homeowners can exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains ($500,000 for married couples) on the sale of their primary residence, provided certain conditions are met. In many cases, middle-class families pay nothing at all when selling their homes.

In countries like Germany, capital gains on residential property can be entirely tax-free if the property is held for more than ten years. France offers significant reductions over time, eventually eliminating capital gains tax altogether after long-term ownership. Even Portugal provides rollover relief when proceeds are reinvested in another primary residence.

Spain, by contrast, offers limited and restrictive exemptions, while maintaining high marginal rates and local taxes that stack on top of national ones. The result is a system that discourages mobility, locks families into their homes, and penalizes long-term saving.

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Former South Korean President Faces Death Penalty by Current Pro-China Administration – They Already Have Him and His Wife in Prison

A special prosecutor has formally sought the death penalty against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and life imprisonment against former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
The sole basis for this unprecedented move is the declaration of a state of emergency — an authority explicitly granted to the presidency under South Korea’s Constitution.

There were:

– No civilian deaths
– No armed clashes
– No ideological purges or mass repression

Yet prosecutors are now pursuing the maximum possible punishment.

This is not normal law enforcement. It is the retroactive criminalization of constitutional authority. If exercising emergency powers can later be reframed as a capital crime, no future leader will ever act decisively in a real national crisis. Political survival will replace national security judgment.

South Korea is a key U.S. ally. What happens here matters far beyond its borders. If a former president in an allied nation can face execution over a constitutional dispute with zero civilian casualties, it sets a precedent that should alarm every free society.

This is precisely the kind of story that deserves international scrutiny. Silence from the United States only emboldens the use of prosecutorial power as a political weapon.

The former President Yoon Suk Yeol is currently being held in prison by the pro-China regime that took power away from Yoon Suk Yeol and his party. A radical prosecutor has charged Yoon Suk Yeol with rebellion charges in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.

Yoon Suk Yeol has been persecuted since the new leaders took control of the country.

This is a very serious situation that is not making headlines in the US.

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Another Victory for Tom Fitton and Judicial Watch – Oregon Agrees to Clean 800,000 Names of Inactive Voters from Voter Rolls

Last June, Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, announced that his organization was suing Oregon to remove the names of inactive voters from the state’s voter rolls.

Here is what Tom said, “Hey, everyone. Huge news. Judicial Watch lawsuits led to the cleanup of 4 million dirty names from the voting rolls in just the last two years or so. But there’s more heavy lifting to be done for cleaner elections. That’s why Judicial Watch just sued the state of Oregon to force it to finally clean up its voting rolls, which are a mess. Federal law requires states to take reasonable steps to clean up their voting rolls, and Oregon hasn’t been doing that.

In fact, our new lawsuit, Just Filed For and With the Constitution Party of Oregon and Oregon Voters, details how 29 of Oregon’s 36 counties removed few or no registrations as required by federal election law.

Oregon and 35 of its counties had overall registration rates exceeding 100%. Frankly, Oregon has the highest known inactive registration rate of any state in the nation. Dirty voting rolls can mean dirty elections.

Oregon, as I said, has some of the worst voting rolls in America and needs to clean them up as soon as possible. In the meantime, Judicial Watch has lawsuits to clean up voting rolls in California and in Illinois. Simply put, millions of ineligible names need to be removed from the voting rolls under federal law, and Judicial Watch has been, is, and will be in federal court making it happen.
On Monday Tom Fitton announced that the Oregon Secretary of State announced removal of 800,000 dirty names from the state’s voter rolls.

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‘We Need To Kill These People’: Left-Wing TikTok User Calls For ‘More’ Violence Against ICE Agents

A left-wing TikTok user urged his followers to “get violent” and to “kill” United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a video that rapidly spread across social media Monday.

Resistance to ICE enforcement has grown more and more violent nationwide, with agents fired on and targeted in multiple states amid increasingly heated rhetoric. Tensions have only escalated further in the wake of Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis.

The TikTok user, who posts under the username monkeydbeans0 and uses they/them/theirs pronouns, said ICE agents are just mall cops and Proud Boys and cited Good’s death as justification for his call to murder federal agents.

“I’m just going to come out and say it. I don’t really care about the consequences anymore. I don’t care. We need to kill these people,” the green-haired TikTok user said. “There’s — there’s just no alternative.”

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UK drops plans for mandatory digital ID for workers in latest U-turn, media reports

Britain is set to drop plans to make it mandatory for workers to hold a digital identity document, The Times newspaper, the BBC and other media reported on Tuesday, potentially marking another policy U-turn for the Labour government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in September last year that his government would require every employee to hold a digital ID in an attempt to tackle illegal migration and reduce the threat from the populist Reform UK party.

The government said the digital ID would be held on people’s mobile phones and become a mandatory part of checks employers must make when hiring staff.

The plan drew criticism from political opponents, with some arguing it would not deter illegal migration and others warning it could infringe on civil liberties.

The Times said the government abandoned the plan amid concerns it could undermine public trust in the scheme, noting that when introduced in 2029, digital IDs would be optional rather than mandatory.

Other forms of documentation, such as an electronic visa or passport, would still be valid, The Times said.

“We are committed to mandatory digital right to work checks,” a government spokesperson said. “We have always been clear that details on the digital ID scheme will be set out following a full public consultation which will launch shortly.”

The spokesperson said current checks rely on a “hodgepodge” of paper-based systems, with no record of whether they were ever carried out, leaving the process open to fraud and abuse.

If plans for a mandatory digital ID are dropped, it would mark another policy climbdown for Starmer.

In December, the government scaled back a plan to raise more tax from farmers, months after it backed down on cuts to welfare spending and scaled back a proposal to reduce subsidies on energy bills for the elderly.

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Trump to antisemites: You’re not welcome in MAGA

President Trump had a resounding no for any antisemites claiming to be part of the Republican Party or his MAGA movement.

“I think we don’t need them,” he told The New York Times in an interview. “I think we don’t like them.”

His comments, made in a Wednesday interview but published on Sunday, came after a series of high profile ultra-conservative figures have made controversial comments about the Jewish people and antisemitic speech has split Republicans.

Trump said: “I condemn” antisemitism.

He said he’s an ally of Israel and was awarded its Israel Prize, considered the country’s highest honor.

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Autistic “Barbie” Doll Celebrates Neuropsychiatric Illness Among Children

“Normalization” is a process where something that is not normal is fashioned and presented in a way in which over time the public accepts it as usual and more conducive to business activities. This is exactly what’s happening with autism spectrum disorder. Alter AI is on the assist with this story.

Mattel’s “Autistic Barbie” and the Normalization of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Mattel has launched its first autistic Barbie doll, part of its ongoing Fashionistas line that promotes “diversity and inclusion.” The doll, unveiled in January 2026, was designed in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and aims to reflect how autistic individuals experience and process the world. USA Today reports the collaboration lasted over 18 months, involving consultations with self-advocates and researchers to imbue the doll with “authentic” autistic traits rather than caricatures.

The doll’s design elements mirror common sensory experiences among people on the autism spectrum. These include jointed wrists and elbows to allow for stimming (repetitive movements or gestures used to self-regulate), a sidelong gaze to represent aversion to direct eye contact, noise-canceling headphones, a fidget spinner, and a tablet displaying Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps used by those with speech or sensory-processing challenges. The outfit—a flowy pinstripe A-line dress—minimizes fabric contact irritation, and flat shoes are meant to promote balance and comfort.

Mattel positions the doll as a celebration of autonomy and inclusion for autistic children, arguing that it allows “young autistic people to see authentic, joyful representations of themselves.” To amplify that message, the company enlisted several social‑media personalities and public figures diagnosed with autism. The rollout echoes previous Barbie releases featuring dolls with Down syndrome, prosthetics, vitiligo, and diabetes—each intended to “mirror the world kids see.”

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Dem Rep. Vindman: ‘Irony’ with Iranians Protesting, ‘What We See with ICE’ in U.S.

On Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) said that the United States should “support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom and independence.” And the Iranian people are “protesting, largely peacefully, on the streets, and they’re being attacked and murdered. And I think there’s an irony, obviously, in what we see with ICE on America’s streets.”

Vindman said, “Well, first of all, I think we all recognize that the Iranian regime is an authoritarian regime that is suppressing its people. And I recognize that in my own family experience, we fled from a Communist authoritarian regime, and we need to support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom and independence. They’re protesting, largely peacefully, on the streets, and they’re being attacked and murdered. And I think there’s an irony, obviously, in what we see with ICE on America’s streets.”

He continued, “But just to stay focused on Iran, I think it means putting enormous pressure on the regime so they recognize that suppressing their own population through violence is not going to work.”

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