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- The ‘Fight Club’ Rule on Gerrymandering
Florida Republicans have approved a new congressional map that could hand them as many as four House seats that Democrats currently hold. Their goal is straightforward and universally understood: They want to bolster the GOP’s majority in Congress and retake the lead in a yearlong, nationwide partisan gerrymandering showdown with Democrats.Good luck, however, getting top Republicans in the Sunshine State to openly admit that.In contrast with other states that have held lengthy and freewheeling public debates over redistricting during the past year, the drive to redraw maps in Florida has been marked by secrecy and obfuscation. Republicans can’t acknowledge the intent of their gerrymandering proposal, because the state constitution expressly prohibits partisan redistricting. As a result, Florida GOP officials—starting with Governor Ron DeSantis and extending all the way to lowly political operatives—have treated the subject of gerrymandering like a defendant respecting a Miranda warning: Do not say anything that could jeopardize these new maps in court.“Anything you say will get you subpoenaed,” one political consultant who works for Republicans in the state told me. The consultant spoke on the condition of anonymity because he, too, does not want to be hauled before a judge when Democrats inevitably challenge the new maps as violating the ban on partisan gerrymandering. “You can’t say, ‘We need to make more Republican seats.’ You’re done. You’re toast, and then your map’s invalidated.”No Republican has followed this fight-club rule more carefully than DeSantis, who called the legislature into session less than a week after Virginia voters evened up the national gerrymandering race by narrowly approving an aggressive Democratic redistricting plan. The Florida governor’s office drew lines based on the likelihood that the Supreme Court would announce a decision weakening enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, insulating the proposal from a challenge in federal court. The justices proved DeSantis’s presumption not only correct but exceptionally well timed: The Court handed down its ruling this morning while Florida legislators were preparing to vote on the new districts, and they paused their debate to read the decision. The 6–3 ruling voided a Louisiana voting map that included a new majority-Black district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. It could lead other GOP-led states to eliminate House seats drawn to boost minority representation in Congress in the months and years ahead. The court did not touch Florida’s state ban on partisan gerrymandering, however. The governor’s proposed map eliminates a district created… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 days ago - Houston Astros will play doubleheader against Orioles Thursday
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In another study seeking to establish an understanding of AI’s role in music creation and consumption, London-based market research and advisory company MIDiA Research has published The State of AI and music. It’s a data report which seeks to understand who… Continue Reading → [TheTopNews] Read More.2 days ago - You’ll Want To Sit Down When Kate Hudson Reveals 1 Place She Loves To Have Sex
The “Running Point” actor got cornered into TMI on Andy Cohen’s show. [TheTopNews] Read More.2 days ago - Terrible, Sexist Men Can’t Help Themselves When It Comes To Megan Thee Stallio...The Houston rapper is being used as a punching bag online — in another moment where she’s already vulnerable. [TheTopNews] Read More.2 days ago
- Fish oil supplements linked to slower brain repair in some patients, study finds
Fish oil might not be the brain booster you think it is, new research suggests.The supplement has been touted for its protective benefits, derived from its key component, omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to capsules, it is increasingly appearing in drinks, dairy alternatives and snack products.Researchers recently found that for certain people, specifically those who have sustained repeated mild head injuries, fish oil might do more harm than good.YOUR BRAIN DOESN’T AGE THE WAY YOU THINK — NEW RESEARCH UPENDS OLD BELIEFS"Fish oil supplements are everywhere, and people take them for a range of reasons, often without a clear understanding of their long-term effects," lead author Onder Albayram, PhD, a neuroscientist and associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and a member of the National Trauma Society Committee, said in a press release.In terms of neuroscience, he said, "we still don't know whether the brain has resilience or resistance to this supplement."MUSC researchers found that a specific part of fish oil called EPA — an omega-3 fatty acid — can interfere with how the brain heals itself after an injury. Instead of protecting the brain, long-term use of fish oil appeared to make it more vulnerable.CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIESThe study focused on the neurovascular system, which is the network of blood vessels that supplies the brain with nutrients and helps it recover, according to the release.EPA seemed to make the walls of the brain’s blood vessels less stable. After an injury, these vessels need to be strong to help the brain repair itself, the researchers noted.The chemical also blocked the repair signals that the brain usually sends out after experiencing physical trauma.Additionally, fish oil use was linked to a buildup of a protein called tau, which is often associated with long-term brain diseases.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER"I am not saying fish oil is good or bad in some universal way," Albayram said."What our data highlight is that biology is context-dependent. We need to understand how these supplements behave in the body over time, rather than assuming the same effect applies to everyone."Most of the core findings were observed in mice, and since human brains are much more complex, the results may not translate perfectly to people, the researchers acknowledged.Also, because the findings are focused specifically on "repeated mild head injuries," they may not apply to people who have not experienced head trauma… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 days ago
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