Trump ordered that the term Homo sapiens be changed to Hetero sapiens. In history books and on websites, the airplane from which the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima will no longer be identified as the Enola Gay, but rather the Enola Straight. Trump also ordered billionaire Mark Cuban, who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, to change his name to Mark American. If he does not do so, he will be charged with terrorism.   read more

During the last quarter of 2012, the vacancy rate for homes was 1.9%, and 8.7% for the rental housing market. To compare, the vacancy rate for homes reached a high of 2.9% in 2008, while the rate for rentals peaked at 11.1% in 2009. On an annual basis, the rental vacancy rate is the lowest since 2001. Low interest rates and a shrinking supply of homes for purchase have been credited for helping boost the housing market, as has the reduced level of new housing construction.   read more

Before they were confirmed, at least four members of the high court indicated that they favored or were open to TV cameras in the courtroom. Since then, however, Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan have changed their minds and now reject video coverage. In 1990, Justice Scalia said, “When I first came on the court, I was in favor of having cameras in the court. I am less and less so...I don't want it to become show biz.”   read more

Federal researchers say more than 30% of new medications—first tested on mice or other mammals—have failed in human clinical trials because they turn out to be toxic or ineffective. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) hopes to develop “human tissue chips that accurately model the structure and function of human organs, such as the lung, liver and heart."   read more

This right, they argue, stems from a provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938—even though their own collective bargaining agreement says nothing about the overtime. Part of the case hinges on whether hard hats, safety glasses and ear plugs qualify as clothing or safety equipment.   read more

The deal came together thanks to a longstanding relationship between the university and the company’s CEO, George Zoley. Zoley is an alumnus of the school, and previously chaired its board of trustees. GEO Group is based in Boca Raton, Florida as is Florida Atlantic. Opponents of private prisons were not pleased with the news of the stadium sponsorship and have launched a petition drive against the deal.   read more

The plaintiffs in the case are Shaun McCutcheon, a conservative activist and businessman from Alabama, and the Republican National Committee (RNC). They object to current two-year limits on overall spending to candidates (currently $48,600) and groups ($74,600). As it stands, an individual could donate the maximum amount to 18 candidates. A ruling in favor of the RNC would allow individuals to donate unlimited amounts to unlimited numbers of candidates.   read more

Citing data from a current Congressional Research Service report (pdf), Winslow Wheeler wrote in Foreign Policy magazine that even if sequestration takes place, the Defense Department will have more funding under President Barack Obama “than most other postwar presidents (and without the sequester he will outspend all of them, including Reagan). Moreover, it's all in dollars adjusted for inflation.”   read more

The decline was attributed to multiple factors: the slowing pace of the ground war; more fighting by Afghan forces, who possess less firepower than U.S. soldiers; fewer suicide attacks on non-government targets; and efforts by American and NATO forces to reduce the impact of fighting on civilians, including reducing the number of aerial bombings.   read more

A state audit revealed that more than 26,000 inmates in local jails received jobless benefits, with some getting an average of $344 a week. Officials expect to save the state about $18 million annually by not paying prisoners unemployment. Other states have had the same problem, including South Carolina and Arizona.   read more

It’s not the first time that the Postal Service has dabbled in the apparel industry. During the 1980s it launched a retail line of T-shirts, neckties and mugs. However, it was forced to abandon the enterprise after Congress received complaints from lobbyists that it was competing with private businesses.   read more

Mandiant was able to track down the source of the attacks to the PLA unit because two of the hackers momentarily logged on to their personal Facebook or Twitter accounts without first signing off of the servers they were using for their espionage work. A hacker’s use of his cell phone number to register a Google email account for himself provided another clue. Unit 61398 is acknowledged by the U.S. as the center of Chinese cyber espionage operations.   read more

The U.S. Sentencing Commission revealed in a new report that the sentences of black men were on average 19.5% longer than the sentences of white men from December 2007 to September 2011. The commission did not mention racism as a factor in sentencing decisions, but did write that judges “make sentencing decisions based on many legitimate considerations that are not or cannot be measured.”   read more

Experts say the research could lead to better understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia and autism, and could produce new therapies for mental illnesses. Additionally, it may open doors for new achievements in the area of artificial intelligence. The new brain project will be organized by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and will also involve the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation.   read more

During the study, parents were provided with viewing guides that advised them on how to get their 3-to-5-year-old children to watch shows like “Sesame Street” instead more violent programs like “Power Rangers.” The researchers checked in on progress after six months and after a full year, comparing results with a control group in which parents were only given suggestions for improving their kids’ diets.   read more

Dr. Ratjan Batra, who was born in India and became a U.S. citizen in 2008, noticed an asterisk next to the name of Mississippi on USConstitution.net that explained about the oversight. He contacted Ben Sullivan of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, who called the office of Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who then sent a copy of the 1995 resolution to the Federal Register. On February 7, Mississippi ratification was officially recorded.   read more

The Department of Labor closed off new enrollment to Job Corps until at least June 30 after lawmakers complained about a budget shortfall that has now reached nearly $100 million. The decision could impact as many as 30,000 young adults struggling to find work, and it could mean about 10,000 staffers losing their jobs.   read more