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EASTON, Pa. – The low buzzing sound of hair clippers competed with barbershop chatter inside Leo's on North 4th Street in this industrial town where the Lehigh and Delaware rivers meet in eastern Pennsylvania. Draped in a black cape, Brendan McCabe sat down for the perfect cut and the Americana of barbershop banter – part therapy, part current events. The day after the midterm elections there was no conversation more current than national politics on the eclectic street that connects the heart of downtown to major highways. McCabe, a 42-year-old independent voter in Easton, gave President Joe Biden a 'D' grade for his first two years in office. "I haven't seen a whole lot of change, a whole lot of improvement." But the independent voter still chose to reelect members of the president's party in down-ballot races, particularly incumbent Rep. Susan Wild. The Democrat earned his vote because she advocates for mental health, the industry in which he works. In a year that was supposed to favor Republicans, purple Pennsylvania bucked expectations and chose a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators for the first time since the 1840s. Voters also elected their first Black lieutenant governor and flipped the state House to Democratic control for the first time in more than a decade. With results still coming in from Tuesday’s midterm elections, one thing is clear: there was no red wave for Republicans. Despite disapproval of Biden, historical trends and near 40-year record inflation, Democrats fared far better than pundits had predicted. If there’s anywhere to reflect that, it's Northampton County, a bellwether in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Conversations with dozens of voters tell the story of why. For many, it was distaste for former President Donald Trump and wariness of a Republican Party many feel has moved too far to the right on issues such as Christian nationalism, human rights and conspiracy theories. In the middle of that last century, Easton, the seat of Northampton County, was a vessel where coal, iron and steel were moved by rail and water. Factories there and in surrounding communities such as Bethlehem, Nazareth and Allentown helped grow the middle class and fuel the American dream before the area fell on hard times in the 1980s and 1990s when the blast furnaces went cold. The area has revamped itself as a destination for manufacturing and medicine, arts and culture, and education, attracting commuters and residents alike from nearby New Jersey and New York. The sentiment in communities like Easton helped Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman triumph over Republican Mehmet Oz, flipping one of Pennsylvania’s Senate seats blue. The Senate race was expected to be tight – but Fetterman’s victory was called earlier than expected, to the shock of Republicans and Democrats alike. Predictions that Republicans would comfortably capture the House and cruise to a majority in the Senate haven't come to fruition. Days after the election, control of the House was still up for grabs, and even if Republicans manage to flip it, they will do so by the narrowest of margins. Control of the Senate remained a tossup with votes still being counted in Arizona and Nevada. The too-close-to-call Georgia race is headed to a runoff. Biden's closing argument to voters ahead of the midterms was that democracy was on the ballot – an implicit call to reject Trumpism. In Northampton County, many swing voters appeared to have heeded that advice. What you missed in the midterms:GOP notch wins, Dems try to hold off 'red tsunami' 'Let DeSantis take the shot' Dozens of voters who talked to USA TODAY revealed they are often not single-issue voters, party loyalists or easy to predict. Some didn't make up their minds until they cast their ballots. For some, they weren't so much casting a ballot for someone but voting against someone else: Donald Trump. This county and state gave Trump presidential power in 2016, an election that lifted other Republicans in down-ballot races. Two years later, they sent a record number of Democratic women to public office – including Wild in Congress – in the 2018 midterms. In 2020, they voted Trump out of office and elected Biden. And in the 2022 midterms, fed up with election deniers and a person they viewed as a sore loser, voters here rebuked the former president's party. Trump teasing a big announcement next week, with political analysts speculating he will run in 2024, didn't help Republican efforts here. "I think he should stay out," said 37-year-old barber Chris Corona. "If (Florida GOP Gov. Ron) DeSantis wants to take the shot, let DeSantis take the shot." In a year when Republicans had history on their side, with the sitting president's party typically losing in the first midterm and the nation facing with high inflation, the 2022 midterms were theirs to lose. Votes were still being counted as McCabe and Corona talked politics, but it seemed the predicted red wave wouldn't arrive. It's not that inflation doesn't matter in Easton, an area where the median income is less than $40,000. But with Trumpism ascendant, and with election denier and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano at the top of the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania, voters here were more concerned about American democracy than the American dream. They rejected Mastriano in favor of Democrat Josh Shapiro. Inflation weighed heavily on voters, with 51% calling it an important factor in a survey from The Associated Press. But behind inflation, at 44%, was the future of democracy, according to the same survey. Inflation is evident in their lives, Corona and McCabe agreed. But overturning American democracy would have a greater impact, they said. "I don't like corrupt people running for office," Corona said, carefully choosing not to name names as a business owner who serves clients of all political backgrounds. An experienced barber, he can deftly change conversation as quickly as he switches from shears to clippers and back again. Shavings of McCabe's hair fall to the black-and-white checkered floor inside the barbershop while a picture window behind him offers a view outside of copper-colored leaves letting go of their branches and falling next to a few remaining candidate signs, the last remnants of the November midterms. Italian immigrant Leo Emili opened the barbershop in 1950. By the time Corona bought it in 2012, Easton had changed like many old blue-collar towns here – into a community of artists, eateries, small business owners and markets to sell their wares. Patane was a reliable Democratic voter this year but said she is an independent thinker who would consider voting for a Republican if a candidate had moderate policies or messaging that might appeal to her. Trump, and his endorsed candidates Mastriano and Dr. Mehmet Oz, were not those candidates. After the former president teased a big announcement next week, Patane found Democratic candidates even more appealing. Knowing that some voters would support another Trump run in Pennsylvania, where he won by about 44,000 votes in 2016 and lost by 80,000 in 2020, she was more motivated to vote against the former president's party Tuesday. Looking for leadership Main Street in Bethlehem, an old steel town founded on Christmas Eve in 1741, was already decorated for the holidays. White string lights are wrapped around trees that line the blocks, and green garland and red bows adorned the lamp posts. But inside Irish store Donegal Square on Main Street, the conversation was about politics, not holidays. Kitty Formica, 71, of Bethlehem, and Marie Barry, 64, of Allentown, were happy with the results Tuesday. They didn't vote for Fetterman or Oz, but they were glad Fetterman won. They chose other Democrats on the ballot, but both cited concerns about Fetterman's stroke and thought he might need more time for rest and recovery than would be realistic for a U.S. senator. Barry and Formica have voted for Republicans and Democrats at different times, but in this election Barry was looking for leadership. "I think our communities, somewhat, are broken. The Jan. 6 incident did not help our country and the community," she said. "So I hope, too, that the people that are elected will try to bring us back together." Leadership was also Formica's top concern. "I know there's gas issues and inflation, all those things," she said. "But if you have a good leader, you would think all those things would take care of themselves in varying degrees." Barry and other Northampton County voters don't think Democratic leadership is perfect. Some independent voters said they would like to send a message to the Democratic Party by voting Republican again, but that won't happen if Trump is at the top of the ticket in 2024, they said. Inflation and a fragile democracy have made for "a big mess," Barry said. But Trump, she later said, would "make everything a bigger mess." "I don't think this area will go Republican again as long as he's on the ballot." Source

A U.S. District Court in Texas on Thursday night blocked President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness program on the grounds that the administration didn't have the authority to act. The fresh injunction is in addition to a block from the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which put the program on hold nearly three weeks ago while it considered a separate lawsuit brought by six states challenging the program and the president's authority to act. The administration has said it can offer far-reaching loan forgiveness under a 2003 law that allows for such measures during national emergencies. In this case, that emergency is the pandemic. The Texas case was brought by the Job Creators Network Foundation, which describes itself as "a nonpartisan organization founded by entrepreneurs who believe the best defense against bad government policies is a well-informed public." "In this case, the HEROES Act – a law to provide loan assistance to military personnel defending our nation – does not provide the executive branch clear congressional authorization to create a $400 billion student loan forgiveness program," wrote the judge in the case, Mark Pittman, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump. "The Program is thus an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated." "The Court is not blind to the current political division in our country," the opinion continues. "But it is fundamental to the survival of our Republic that the separation of powers as outlined in our Constitution be preserved. And having interpreted the HEROES Act, the Court holds that it does not provide 'clear congressional authorization' for the Program proposed by the Secretary." White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the Justice Department filed an appeal. "We will never stop fighting for hardworking Americans most in need – no matter how many roadblocks our opponents and special interests try to put in our way," Jean-Pierre said, adding that the Department of Education will hold onto the information that 26 million borrowers provided to the Department so that it can quickly process their relief once we prevail in court. The Job Creators Network Foundation praised the ruling, noting it doesn't get to what it said is the real reason so many people carry student loan debt. "This attempted illegal student loan bailout would have done nothing to address the root cause of unaffordable tuition: greedy and bloated colleges that raise tuition far more than inflation year after year while sitting on $700 billion in endowments," said Elaine Parker, president of Job Creators Network Foundation. "We hope that the court’s decision today will lay the groundwork for real solutions to the student loan crisis." At least 26 million people have applied for one-time student loan debt relief, under a plan the president announced in August. It would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. People who received Pell Grants in college would have another $10,000 in debt forgiven. Source

Much of our modern understanding of the mechanics of synaptic transmission and the highly conserved organization of neural networks in vertebrate brains comes from Charles “Chuck” Stevens. The legendary neuroscientist died at his San Diego home on October 21 at age 88. Stevens was born in Chicago on September 1, 1934, to Russell Stevens and Reba Hoffman Stevens, according to a tribute from the Salk Institute. Initially hoping to become a physician, Stevens attended Harvard University and graduated with a BA in psychology in 1956. He then earned a medical degree at Yale University. According to a 2012 PNAS interview, he then became interested in the mechanisms of learning and memory. Drawn to research, Stevens attended Rockefeller University to study math and physics, and earned a PhD in biophysics in 1964. Shortly afterward, he joined the faculty of the University of Washington, where he stayed until returning to Yale in the mid-1970s. Early in his research career, Stevens sought to understand the molecular mechanisms of how electrical currents travel through ion channels during synaptic transmission, and the role such transmission plays in learning and memory. According to his faculty profile at the Salk Institute, he later moved on to understanding neural circuits through the lens of scalable architecture, a term used in computer science for getting greater output by adding resources without actually changing the system. In neuroscience, scalable architecture suggests that as the brain gets larger, it should be able to accomplish more without having to be restructured; the addition of new neurons during development allows the neural circuitry to perform more tasks. Experimenting with various organisms, Stevens found that goldfish served as a useful model for this idea because their brains keep growing throughout adulthood, according to his obituary from Salk. This work allowed him to identify key principles of organization and development within the brain. Later in his career, he focused mainly on theoretical work surrounding scalability. Stevens was known for his collaborative spirit; according to multiple online tributes, he put the quest for knowledge ahead of personal accolades. He had overlapping affiliations, giving him more opportunities to work with others and share ideas. For example, he was an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 1986 until 2007. Meanwhile, he left Yale for the Salk Institute in 1990, working in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory. In 1996, he joined the Santa Fe Institute’s Science Steering Committee. He retired from Salk in 2018 as professor emeritus. “Chuck had a procedural curiosity like almost no one I have ever met before,” Santa Fe Institute President David Krakauer says in the institution’s tribute. “Rather than read about a topic from outside of his orbit he would dedicate a year to applying distant ideas and methods to a data set from his own work. This is not finding and mastering a method that seems like a good fit to a problem but finding a fit because an idea feels so deep that it needs to be learned.” See “Synaptic Vesicles: Reused or Recycled?” One of Stevens’s early postdocs was Erwin Neher. The pair published a paper in 1977 about statistical fluctuations in recordings of the ionic pores of neuron membranes. Researchers conducting such research often ended up capturing data from other ion channels, creating statistical “noise.” In 1980, Neher and a different colleague developed a technique to clamp a pipette tip onto a single ion channel, reducing those fluctuations. This “gigaseal” allowed researchers to record data from a single channel in a living cell for the first time, and garnered Neher the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1991. “Everything that we’ve learned about the nervous system in the last 25 years we could not have done without patch-clamping,” Stevens told The Scientist in 2010. “Erwin’s discovery of the gigaseal made all the difference in the world.” Stevens was elected into the National Academy of Sciences in 1982 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1984. He is survived by Jane, his wife of 66 years, along with two daughters and three grandchildren. One daughter predeceased him in 2013. A charitable fund was established in his name at the University of California, San Diego, to support neuroscience graduate students. Source

• Name: <HUNT3R> • Time & Date: 06:10 • Screenshot: Here Here

Nick Movie: Dharavi Bank Time: 19|11|2022 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: - Duration of the movie: / Trailer:

Musician Name: Uday Shankar Birthday / Location: 08|12|1900 / British India Main instrument: vocal Musician Picture: Musician Awards & Nominations: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award ,Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Padma Vibhushan Best Performance: Dasahara Ke Mela, Gaya Ke Kanwar Jahanabaad Gerua Ke Sariya Panditan Other Information: /

Live Performance Title: Raja Kumari ft. DIVINE - City Slums - Asian Network in Mumbai Signer Name: Divine Live Performance Location:/ Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 10/10

Artist: Uday Shankar Real Name: Uday Shankar Birth Date /Place: 08|12|1900 / British India Age: 26 September 1977 (aged 76) Social status (Single / Married): Married Artist Picture: Musical Genres: Classical Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award ,Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Padma Vibhushan Top 3 Songs (Names): Dasahara Ke Mela, Gaya Ke Kanwar Jahanabaad Gerua Ke Sariya Panditan Other Information: Uday Shankar (8 December 1900 – 26 September 1977) was an Indian dancer and choreographer, best known for creating a fusion style of dance, adapting European theatrical techniques to Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, which he later po[CENSORED]rised in India, Europe, and the United States in 1920s and 1930s.He was a pioneer of modern dance in India.

¤ Your name: <HUNT3R> ¤ Name of the administrator who abused: GG ¤ Reason for report: He don't follow the rules he hides while the mod and I Doubt he uses scripts ¤ Date/Time: 10-11-2022 / 21:25 ¤ Proof: Here (Recording of his speed)

¤ Nick : EragonMP ¤ IP : 31.61.160.11 ¤ Ban Time : 5000 ¤ Reason : Speed Hack and aimbot ¤ Proof : Here

Music Title:FREE VERSE Signer: Bilal Shaikh Release Date: 30|12|2014 Official Youtube Link:- Informations About The Signer: / Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video): 10/10

Welcome

I agree with Abhinash, for the moment we must focus on bringing new players to the server For now contra The Topic will be closed for the further replies. T/C

DH1 - 0 Votes DH2 - 4 Votes Winner DH2 Congrats

As said for now contra topic will be considered in future T/C

• Name: <HUNT3R> • Time & Date: 06:32 • Screenshot: Here Here

It is nothing bad in what did ,but it would be better to ask players and admins whether they want to change the map or not It is ok for this time ask it once next time T/C

More than a century ago, researchers unearthed the remains of a tiny, ancient reptile from inside a swath of sandstone in northeastern Scotland. Most of its skeleton was long gone, but scientists recently reconstructed the animal for the first time, identifying it as a reptilian predecessor of pterosaurs — the first reptiles to achieve powered flight. For decades, paleontologists debated exactly how to categorize this 7-inch-long (20 centimeters) specimen from the Triassic period (252 million to 201 million years ago), which was first described in 1907 and named Scleromochlus taylori. In a new study, published Wednesday (Oct. 5) in the journal Nature(opens in new tab), scientists finally set the record straight, placing it in a group that includes pterosaurs as well as other early reptiles. Using computerized tomography — CT scans — a team of scientists from the University of Birmingham in England and Virginia Tech digitally modeled the first complete skeletal reconstruction of S. taylori. Though some of its bones were missing, an impression of the animal's skeleton was preserved in the rock. This offered some clues about what the animal might have looked like, but the specimen was nonetheless difficult to classify. "There were ongoing debates about where it fit [into the evolutionary tree]," lead study author Davide Foffa, a research associate at National Museums Scotland and a research fellow at the University of Birmingham, told Live Science. "Scientists thought it was a close relative of either pterosaurs or dinosaurs, or reptiles such as crocodylians, amongst many other things. However, the scans showed minute details not available in prior studies." Those details included a better picture of the animal's femur and upper jaw. Before digital modeling was available, scientists would use clay or other malleable materials to create a cast of delicate fossils. However, some parts of this specimen were too small or narrow to provide an adequate impression. "The preservation is very odd since some of the bones are completely washed away, and what we have left is a block of sandstone with the impression of where the bones once were," Foffa said. "It has been studied a lot, but the problem was we couldn't reach all of the cavities in the impression and see where some of the bones were still connected." Foffa said that the sandstone block essentially served as a "natural mold" of the specimen, though it provided an incomplete picture of the ancient creature's appearance. "With two [impression] halves, we lose the 3D orientation, and some of the bones were split between the two blocks," Foffa said. "It was difficult to understand the shape, size and dimensions of the specimen, and the impressions only captured part of it." "Once we placed it," Foffa said, "other details showed that the Scleromochlus was similar, but not a direct ancestor [to either dinosaurs or pterosaurs] and that it is anatomically more similar to lagerpetids than to pterosaurs." The researchers also concluded that S. taylori likely ate small insects and stood on its tippy toes but had the potential to walk on all fours when necessary, and that its posture was unlike that of frogs and lizards, which typically have a sprawling posture and move with all four limbs in contact with the ground. However, the study supports the idea that the first flying reptiles evolved from small ancient reptiles like S. taylori. This led scientists to conclude that S. taylori likely belonged to the group Pterosauromorpha ("pterosaurlike forms"), which includes pterosaurs — the first animals with bones that evolved powered flight — and lagerpetids, bipedal reptiles that were the size of a cat or a small dog, according to the study. Scleromochlus was a lagerpetid that predated pterosaurs and was not a direct ancestor of the reptilian flyers, though "pterosaurs evolved from tiny, ground-living, fast-running reptiles," that probably resembled Scleromochlus, the researchers reported. Source

As a tribute to Porsche’s victory in the 1984 Paris-Dakar rally, this spiritual successor to the 911 Safari was driven 500,000km (roughly 310,750 miles) on a range of terrain as part of its test programme - from snow and sand to ice and rock. While Porsche hasn’t confirmed full drivetrain or modification specs yet, it is expected to share the same highly adaptable 443bhp flat six as the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, given that Porsche recently sent two off-road 911s up Ojos del Salado in Chile – the world’s highest volcano – with that engine The only confirmed change for the 911 Dakar over the standard car is an ABS system that has been optimised for work on loose surfaces, and a raised ride height that, we speculate, will be similar to the volcano-climbing cars. Those cars were equipped with a raft of off-road enhancements, including shorter gear ratios, 310mm-wide off-road wheels and tyres, raised suspension for 350mm of ground clearance, lightweight underbody protection, a specially adapted cooling system and a roll cage - all of which would make sense on a similarly conceived production car. As part of the test programme, the 911 Dakar was taken to the Château de Lastours test track in southern France, a familiar proving ground for Dakar rally cars. Being familiar with the 911 already, Porsche works driver Romain Dumas said: “I knew what a 911 could do on the road, but I was absolutely stunned by how well the car performed here on the loose.” The car’s behaviour on other loose surfaces, such as sand, was tested in Dubai and Morocco, where it was repeatedly driven up steep dunes in 45deg C heat and delivered a “commanding performance”, according to Frank Moser, the vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines. Two-time World Rally Champion Walter Röhrl commended the 911 Dakar for working “so precisely and calmly” after he drove it on Swedish frozen lakes. He said: “No Porsche customer will believe all the things you can do with this car before they’ve driven it themselves." Full technical specifications – as well as details of the 911 Dakar’s availability and pricing – will be revealed next week by Porsche at the Los Angeles motor show. Source

Achievements: Chairman of Godrej Group Adi Godrej is one of the icons of Indian Industry. He is the chairman of Godrej Group. .Adi Godrej was born in a business family. His father's name was Burjorji Godrej and his mother's name was Jai Godrej. More than a century age, the Godrej's were into manufacturing locks and vegetable-based soaps. The Godrej products were among the first indigenously manufactured products to displace entrenched foreign brands. Adi Godrej left India at the age of 17 to enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Though he planned to study mechanical engineering but he later on switched to management. After his return to India, Adi Godrej joined the family business. He modernized and systematized management structures and implemented process improvements. Adi Godrej took the Godrej Group to great height during controlled economy era. After the liberalization process, Adi Godrej restructured company's policies to meet the challenges of globalisation. In the early 2000s, the Group completed a 10-year restructuring process through which each business became a stand-alone company with a CEO/COO from outside the Godrej family. Under Adi Godrej's leadership, the group is also involved in philanthropic activities. Godrej is major supporter of the World Wildlife Fund in India, it has developed a green business campus in the Vikhroli township of Mumbai, which includes a 150-acre mangrove forest and a school for the children of company employees. Source

Millions of voters across the country cast their ballots for the 2022 midterm elections on Tuesday. In addition to picking key state and local officials, their votes should determine whether Democrats will be able keep control of the U.S. House and Senate, or if Republicans will flip one or both houses of Congress. As the sun crept over the East Coast on Wednesday, it remained a toss up. Democrats won key Senate and governor seats, like John Fetterman flipping the Senate seat in Pennsylvania against Republican Mehmet Oz. The "red wave" of Republican strength was not rolling in as of Wednesday morning, despite wins like Republican incumbent Brian Kemp defeating Democrat Stacey Abrams for Georgia Governor. Many highly-watched races have still yet to be called. Amid millions of votes for lawmakers, voters also weighed in on ballot initiatives from coast to coast – on issues ranging from legalizing marijuana to accessing abortion and outlawing slavery. Some Americans voted on raising the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid and on policies designed to address climate change. Here’s what you need to know about key ballot measures from Election Day 2022. Abortion access votes in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont After the Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade decision earlier this year, abortion access became a key issue in states across the country. For the midterms, advocates hoped that states nationwide would protect reproductive rights. Voters in Michigan, California and Vermont enshrined abortion rights in their state constitutions on Tuesday, per Associated Press counts. In Kentucky, an anti-abortion measure on the ballots was rejected by voters. The rejection of the amendment, which attempted to deny any constitutional protections for abortion in the state, marks a significant victory for abortion rights. Kentucky's GOP-dominated legislature has imposed a near-total ban on abortions – which could still be upheld by the state Supreme Court. But the amendment rejection also means there's a possibility for the court to declare abortion as a state right. And in Montana, a referendum could mean criminal charges for health care workers if they don't take “all medically appropriate and reasonable actions to preserve the life” of an infant who is born living, including after an attempted abortion. Voting rights were on ballots in several states for the midterms – including measures on voter identification, early voting, and rules on passing ballot initiatives. In Connecticut, a constitutional amendment to allow in-person early voting passed in Tuesday's elections. Meanwhile, Ohio voters passed an amendment that would prohibit people who are not U.S. citizens from voting in local elections. And in Nebraska, voters passed a measure that requires a valid photo ID to vote in any election. In Arizona, voters were asked whether they should be required to provide a date of birth and voter identification number for early ballot affidavits, instead of only a signature. Arizonians also voted on proposals about ballot initiatives, including whether the state’s legislature can amend or repeal measures that voters have passed if the measures are deemed unconstitutional. In Michigan, voters were asked whether to create a nine-day window for early voting, among other changes, such as requiring a photo ID or signed affidavit to vote. And ballots in Nevada asked voters about establishing ranked-choice voting for congressional and some state elections. Five states were deciding whether to abolish slavery on Election Day. Voters in four states – Alabama, Tennessee, Vermont and Oregon – passed measures to change their state constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, according to Associated Press counts. Meanwhile, voters in Louisiana rejected an amendment to remove language from the state's constitution allowing for involuntary servitude in the criminal justice system. Yes, more than 150 years ago, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ended slavery on a national level when it was ratified in 1865. But loopholes do still allow it as a punishment for people convicted of a crime. If enacted, these referendums could be more than just a symbolic gesture. Criminal justice reform advocates have said they could mean higher wages for prison work, among other changes. Marijuana appeared on ballots in multiple states this year. In Arkansas, Missouri, Maryland, North Dakota and South Dakota, voters were faced with an option to legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. Maryland and Missouri voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana for people 21 and over though constitutional amendments on Tuesday. Both states' measures will also bring changes to criminal law and expunge many past marijuana possession convictions. In Missouri, for example, nonviolent offenses will be expunged – with the exception of selling to minors or driving under the influence. Meanwhile, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota voters rejected proposals for legalizing recreational use on Tuesday. Colorado voters weighed in on whether the state should define certain fungi and psychedelic plants as natural medicine. The amendment would also allow personal use, possession, transportation and growth of the substances for people who are 21 or older. As of early Wednesday, the vote was too early to call. Nevada voters were presented with an opportunity on Tuesday to increase the minimum wage in the state to $12 per hour. The state’s current minimum wage is between $9.50 to $10.50, depending whether a person has health insurance. Nebraska voters approved ballot measure that will significantly increase the state's minimum wage from the current $9 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026. In Washington, D.C., voters chose to raise the minimum wage for tipped employees to match the pay of non-tipped employees. Source

At Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California, it was worth the wait. A single ticket sold at the Los Angeles-area convenience store won the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball drawing Tuesday – a historic drawing for a jumbo jackpot that was delayed for almost 10 hours, testing the patience of lottery lovers everywhere. "We want to thank all of our community members that always come that are dedicated to this station," said owner Joe Chahayed Jr. at a Tuesday press conference. "They truly believe in luck and they truly believe that some things are just deserved to be." The winning numbers were 10-33-41-47-56 and the Powerball was 10. No winner has come forward yet, but the service center basked in the $1 million bonus for selling the golden ticket. The largest lottery prize ever climbed to $2.04 billion on Tuesday morning, and the lump sum for the jackpot was at $997.6 million. In addition to the jackpot-winning ticket, 22 tickets worth $1 million that matched all five numbers except the Powerball were sold in 16 states, Powerball officials said. Monday's highly anticipated drawing was delayed because a participating lottery was still processing its sales and play data, the Multi-State Lottery Association said. As soon as the required procedures were completed by the one outstanding lottery, the drawing proceeded just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. The delay was likely because of a two-part verification system of ticket sales that uses an outside vendor to ensure all is in order before the game’s numbers are drawn, said Terry Rich, a former director of the Iowa Lottery who also served on the Powerball board. Source

Earlier this month, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced the recipients of the inaugural Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication. The 24 awards, totaling $600,000, were funded by Schmidt Futures and recognize “creative, original work that addresses issues and advances in science, engineering, and/or medicine for the general public.” “It takes great skill to effectively communicate the wonder and complexity of science, engineering, and medicine, and we hope these new awards will not only recognize such talent, but also help nurture the next generation of leaders in science journalism and communication,” National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt said in a press release announcing the awards back in February. Half of the awards are given to science journalists, while the other half go to researchers. The latter group’s 12 awards are divided into a $40,000 top prize and three $20,000 awards of recognition in each of three categories: graduate students, early career researchers, and mid- to later-career researchers. The Scientist spoke to recognition awardee and paleoecologist Jacquelyn Gill about the prize, which she won for her Twitter presence, lay-level writing, and Warm Regards podcast. Jacquelyn Gill: Thank you. It is an incredible honor, especially to be awarded among so many science communicators that I look up to and admire. And it just feels like such an important validation of the importance of science communication and public outreach, which I think is more important now than ever. So it’s just nice to see this recognized by one of our biggest supporters of public science in the country. JG: We are on the frontlines of so many interconnected crises—the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, those are two areas that I work on. And of course, we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic. There are just so many ways in which the science we do has direct implications for people and the planet’s livelihoods and wellbeing. And while there are so many people doing this kind of work, for scientists in particular, it can be really powerful to be visible and accessible. We were—we’re still—one of the most trusted groups in the country, according to polling data. Also, as someone who is publicly funded and at a public institution, I feel very much a sense of responsibility to use my knowledge and experience and platform for the public good. There are lots of ways to do that, but for me, science communication is something that I feel called to do and also that revitalizes my science and gives it meaning. JG: I think we have a duty to be of use. I often get tripped up on this question, because the easy answer might be yes, but not everyone has those skills or that inclination. And I think there are many ways to be of use. Life scientists can serve on boards or do work behind the scenes. Bad science communication can often be worse than none at all, and I would hesitate to tell anyone the best ways to walk the walk when it comes to public service. Do I think that scientists should be stuck in an ivory tower? Absolutely not. Do all of them need to be public-facing communicators? No. There are many, many ways to be useful. Do I think everyone should be doing everything that they can? Absolutely. JG: There’s a few things. The first is that when I was growing up, it took me a long time to come to science as a possibility, even though I was a kid who loved the outdoors, who spent a lot of time outside rambling around, was deeply concerned about the environmental crises that were unfolding as a child—you know, like a Captain Planet–generation kid in the 90s. So, it might seem like a bit of a surprise that a nature nerd took so long to come to a science career. But I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn’t have role models. And the role models that I did have were fictional characters like Ellie Sadler in Jurassic Park or Dana Scully in The X Files. It didn’t occur to me until quite late in my college career that science was a pathway for me. And so some of my motivation as a communicator comes from that: just this idea that we still have a representation problem in science. But a lot of it is also just the fact that I’m a first-generation college student. I come from a blue-collar background. My dad and stepdad were both in the Navy; they worked for steel mills. And actually, both of my dads worked for different sectors in the fossil fuel industry, which is pretty funny when you think about it. But my graduate education was publicly funded: I went to a public institution, I was funded on NSF grants and teaching assistantships, and now I work at a public land grant university, at the University of Maine. So, nothing I do would be possible without the citizens of the US and their support. To me, that comes with a tremendous sense of responsibility. When I tallied it up and realized how much I cost the taxpayers for my own training and education, that was incredibly sobering. That’s a debt that I can’t ever fully pay back. But I can work really hard to give back in all the ways that I can. And so that’s a huge motivation for me. JG: I’ve come to learn that empathy is our biggest tool. People want to be listened to, and seen, and heard just as much as they want to be told things. Probably more. We know that empathy trumps facts . . . because of extensive research on science communication. . . . So I inject a lot of myself as a human, not just a science-generating robot, in my communication. . . . That’s just who I am—it wasn’t necessarily even a conscious decision. But it certainly is reinforced by a lot of the literature on what makes effective science communication. I really approach the work that I do with a goal of trying to inspire, to help people reconnect with the curiosity that they were born with but maybe had drummed out of them through life. And I try to maintain as much of a hopeful and action-oriented approach to my climate communication in particular, and one that’s very much grounded, as I said, in empathy. And I use a lot of tools from storytelling—my theater background comes in really handy. Once I told myself this was a priority, and I could find my niche in this broader ecosystem, I just started trying things—Twitter and podcasting, and now some essay writing, have really seemed to be where I fit. And that’s been a real joy to be able to explore and try new things. JG: I’m sure that I have fewer papers than some of my other colleagues. I’m sure that I have made tradeoffs by focusing some of my limited time and bandwidth on communication. I think that in the end, the balance is positive: It has been enriching for me; it has helped me avoid burnout, and also has given my science a broader meaning. My research has been seen by more people than if I hadn’t taken on these projects. It makes you a target sometimes, especially being a woman in science communication—this is even more true for women of color. And some days, when you’re getting a lot of hate from trolls—there’s often a moment where I wonder, ‘What would my life be like if I didn’t have to worry about whether or not the car driving slowly by my house was someone who was targeting me because of something I said about climate change online?’ But in the end, I would [do it anyway]; I wouldn’t have changed a thing. JG: It could not have been better timed. . . . Since the election in 2016, which caused a lot of us to question whether the work that we do matters, what it means to be advocating for the environment and for climate action in a post-truth world—all of those kinds of challenges, I think, have shaken so many of my colleagues and me. Then you add a pandemic on top of that, and everyone I know is burned out right now, including myself. I get to do so little science compared to what I thought this job would look like that sometimes I’ve questioned, you know, what is the point? Why am I doing this? And so I made a conscious decision earlier this year to really lean into the communication side of my job. It’s been incredibly validating for this award to come, especially for something like Twitter. . . . All of that just felt very much like I’m on the right path, and I should be doing this. . . . I can’t express how much I needed that messaging right now. JG: Don’t be afraid to mess up, don’t be afraid to play, tap into the things that you already do. The networks, the audiences, the skills that you have—there are so many opportunities out there to connect with people over your science. And you know, rather than think about this as something you shouldn’t be doing, just think of it as a something that you get to do. It will pay you back for that effort in so many ways that you can’t even possibly imagine. . . . It might take some time for you to figure out your voice or the tools that work best for you and the audience that you connect with, but that work is worth it. And I hope you give it a try. Source