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“I should knock your a** out”: Kevin Hart calls Kai Cenat “racist” during sleepover livestream

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Comedian Kevin Hart recently had a hilarious interaction with Twitch star Kai Cenat during a comedic bit in the middle of their collaborative livestream on Twitch.

The stream also featured fellow comedian [insert name], adding to the entertaining dynamic between the performers. The blend of humor and spontaneous moments made the livestream a memorable experience for fans of both comedy and gaming.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/streamers/news-i-knock-a-out-kevin-hart-calls-kai-cenat-racist-sleepover-livestream

archaeology, art, history, science

12,000-year-old carvings of animals discovered in Saudi Arabian desert

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Researchers have discovered life-size rock carvings of camels, gazelles, and other animals in the Saudi Arabian desert. These impressive carvings date back to about 12,000 years ago, with many measuring more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall.

Scientists believe the carvings were created using a wedge-shaped rock to produce sharp, precise lines. Interestingly, several of the engravings were etched onto narrow ledges, meaning the artists could not even step back to survey their work as they created it.

“To engrave that much detail with just a rock takes real skill,” said Maria Guagnin, an archaeologist with the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, who was involved in the discovery.

The animal carvings, along with engraving tools found at the site, reveal that people inhabited the area about 2,000 years earlier than scientists had previously thought. However, it remains unclear how these early inhabitants survived in such arid conditions—whether they lived off shallow lakes that formed temporarily or drank water that collected in deep crevices.

“People have been creating rock art in Saudi Arabia for thousands of years,” Ms. Guagnin explained. However, dating older engravings can be challenging since they often lack writing and rarely contain remnants like charcoal, which can be analyzed in a lab.

Michael Harrower, a Johns Hopkins University archaeologist not involved in the research, commented via email, “We know relatively little about art in the Middle East during this very ancient period of the human past.”

In the latest discovery, scientists found a rock pick buried directly beneath the carvings. This crucial find allowed them to date both the tool and the artwork it was used to create. The findings were published recently in the journal *Nature Communications*.

Prior to this discovery, scientists were uncertain if people lived in the desert during this time, as the conditions were dry and water scarce. It was generally thought that people moved into the area later, when the landscape was marked by greener pastures and lakes.

One of the carvings depicted an auroch—an ancestor of wild cattle that did not live in the desert and has since become extinct. This led Ms. Guagnin to speculate that the artists might have encountered such animals by traveling elsewhere during the dry season.

“They must have been fully established communities that knew the landscape really well,” she said.

This discovery not only sheds light on human history in the harsh environments of the Arabian desert but also highlights the remarkable skill and adaptability of early communities in the region.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/12000-year-old-carvings-of-animals-discovered-in-saudi-arabian-desert-1813085.html

disaster, environment, news, weather

Watch: Homes in North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapse into ocean

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Homes along the Outer Banks of North Carolina fell into the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday as Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto swirled offshore.

The powerful storms caused significant coastal erosion and damage, leading to the collapse of several beachfront properties. Residents were urged to evacuate and stay safe as the hurricanes moved through the region.

Officials continue to monitor the situation closely, assessing the impact and coordinating emergency response efforts. The community is expected to face ongoing challenges in the aftermath of these storms.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch-homes-north-carolinas-outer-banks-collapse-into-ocean/

disaster, environment, hurricanes, weather

Video shows several houses along Outer Banks collapsing into Atlantic Ocean

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Five unoccupied houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks collapsed into the ocean on Tuesday as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda rumbled in the Atlantic, the National Park Service reported. These collapses mark the latest private beachfront structures to fall into the surf in recent years.

The homes, once propped on high stilts, gave way in the afternoon in Buxton, a community on one of the string of islands that make up the Outer Banks, said Mike Barber, a spokesperson for the park service. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, according to a post by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on social media.

In a video taken by Brayan Garcia, several homes could be seen teetering on their stilts, battered by relentless waves before ultimately plunging into the surf. The shoreline was littered with debris, including two-by-fours, cushions, and even an entire home, as wave after wave rolled in from the Atlantic Ocean.

“Seashore visitors are urged to stay away from the collapsed house sites and to use caution for miles to the south of the sites due to the presence of potentially hazardous debris,” the Cape Hatteras National Seashore advisory stated. The post also warned that further collapses were possible given the ongoing ocean conditions.

This event marks the second time in six weeks that the Outer Banks has faced strong waves churned by a hurricane. In late August, Hurricane Erin brought rough surf and high tides to Rodanthe, North Carolina, where beachfront homes were visibly on the verge of collapse.

North Carolina’s coastline is almost entirely composed of narrow, low-lying barrier islands that have been eroding steadily amid rising sea levels for years. Since 2020, seventeen privately owned houses have collapsed on Seashore beaches, according to the park service. The first 15 were located north of Buxton in Rodanthe, but a home in Buxton fell into the surf just two weeks ago.

The threat to these structures often escalates when storms impact the region, as has been true with the two recent hurricanes, even as they moved further out to sea. Experts note that barrier islands like the Outer Banks were never ideal locations for development. These islands typically form as waves deposit sediment off the mainland and shift based on weather patterns and other ocean forces. Some islands even disappear over time.

Portions of eastern North Carolina were placed under coastal flood advisories and warnings, the National Weather Service reported, with dangerous surf conditions expected in the area through the rest of the week. Ocean overwash on Tuesday also forced the state Transportation Department to close a section of North Carolina Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island. Additionally, the ferry service connecting Ocracoke and Hatteras islands was suspended for the day.

Swells generated by Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto are expected to affect parts of the U.S. East Coast over the next few days. Imelda is the ninth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season and formed shortly after Hurricane Humberto, which rapidly intensified into a major hurricane over the Atlantic on Saturday. However, Imelda is not expected to make landfall and is forecast to drift farther east throughout the week.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/buxton-north-carolina-outer-banks-homes-collapse-humberto-imelda/

health, politics, science, society

Why harmful autism myths are so common

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US President Donald Trump’s claim that pregnant women should avoid acetaminophen is both harmful and not backed by science. This statement fits into a long and damaging tradition of blaming parents, especially mothers, for autism.

Despite decades of research and a far richer understanding of autistic lives, two myths persist: that parents’ behavior can somehow cause autism, and that autism is a temporary condition that can be cured or simply outgrown. Large, long-term studies—and the experiences of autistic people—have repeatedly debunked both claims, yet they continue to surface in public debate.

From the earliest theories of autism, researchers looked for someone or something to blame. In the 1950s and 1960s, psychiatrists such as Leo Kanner—an Austrian-American physician who first described autism as a distinct condition in 1943—and Bruno Bettelheim, a Viennese-born American psychologist known for his controversial theories on child development, promoted the now-discredited notion of the “refrigerator mother.” This is the idea that autism was the result of emotionally cold parenting.

This theory led to guilt, shame, and even the forced separation of children from their families, causing immense harm. That pattern of blaming mothers set the stage for later false claims.

In the 1990s, Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist, alleged that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine caused autism. His work was later exposed as fraudulent; the paper was retracted, and his medical license revoked. Extensive international research has since shown conclusively that there is no link between MMR vaccination and autism.

Yet the damage continues. Vaccination rates dropped, outbreaks of preventable diseases followed, and some children died or suffered serious complications.

Since then, other supposed causes—ranging from gluten and cow’s milk to cesarean sections and even ultrasound scans—have been proposed and later disproved. All these theories share the same misplaced blame: they pin autism on something a parent, most often the mother, is alleged to have done or failed to do.

**Recycling Harmful False Claims**

When people in positions of power claim, without evidence, that an everyday substance is linked to autism, it inevitably sows doubt. History shows how damaging that doubt can be.

The US president’s recent comment about acetaminophen resurrects earlier myths that were thoroughly discredited yet remain surprisingly influential. Like the false claims about vaccines or cow’s milk, it risks causing real harm to children and parents alike.

When such statements come from prominent political figures rather than scientific experts, they spread quickly across social media, where algorithms amplify sensational content and make it harder to correct.

**The Evidence Does Not Support the Claim**

In reality, the evidence does not support Trump’s claim. A large international body of research shows no link between taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and autism.

The few studies that raised concerns were small, often based on animal experiments or limited observational data. Their findings have never been replicated in large-scale human research.

This pattern is familiar from other autism scares. Early studies that suggested a link between ultrasound scans or prenatal stress and autism also relied on animal models and were not confirmed by large population studies.

**Myths That Outlive the Evidence**

Even when false claims are debunked, their impact can persist for years. Research shows that many people still believe vaccines cause autism: in 2021, almost one-quarter of respondents were unsure whether the MMR vaccine was safe.

Parents of autistic children were more likely to believe in a vaccine link, suggesting that some have internalized the idea of parental blame.

This kind of messaging frames autism as something gone wrong in the womb—something that could and should have been prevented. It deepens stigma and discrimination against autistic people and their families. It also positions all forms of autism as a defect rather than natural human neurodiversity.

Rising autism diagnoses do not reflect a sudden surge in cases but a better understanding and recognition of autistic people. Instead of asking “What causes autism?”, the more useful question is how to create a world that supports autistic children and adults.

*Written by Lindsay O’Dell, Charlotte Brownlow, Sandra Thom-Jones, The Conversation.*
https://knowridge.com/2025/10/why-harmful-autism-myths-are-so-common/

culture, defense, military, politics

Trump reveals plan to use US cities to train military and end ‘woke culture’

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President Donald Trump revealed that he wants to use American cities as training grounds for the armed forces and joined Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday in declaring an end to woke culture. This announcement was made before an unusual gathering of hundreds of top US military officials who were abruptly summoned to Virginia from around the world.

Mr. Hegseth announced new directives for troops that include gender-neutral or male-level standards for physical fitness. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump boasted about US nuclear capabilities and warned that America is under invasion from within.

“After spending trillions of dollars defending the borders of foreign countries, with your help we’re defending the borders of our country,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Hegseth had called military leaders to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, near Washington, without publicly revealing the reason until the morning of the event. His address largely focused on his long-used talking points, painting a picture of a military hampered by woke policies. He stated that military leaders should do the honorable thing and resign if they do not agree with his new approach.

Meetings between top military brass and civilian leaders are nothing new, but this gathering fueled speculation due to the haste of its call and the mystery surrounding its purpose. Admirals and generals from conflict zones in the Middle East and elsewhere were summoned for a lecture on race and gender in the military. This highlighted the extent to which the country’s culture wars have become a front-and-center agenda item for Mr. Hegseth’s Pentagon, even amid broad national security concerns worldwide.

Mr. Trump is accustomed to boisterous crowds of supporters who laugh at his jokes and applaud his boasts during speeches. However, he did not receive that kind of feedback from the generals and admirals in attendance. In keeping with the nonpartisan tradition of the armed services, the military leaders sat mostly stone-faced throughout Mr. Trump’s politicized remarks. This contrasted with the cheering rank-and-file soldiers during Mr. Trump’s speech at Fort Bragg earlier this summer.

During his nearly hour-long speech, Mr. Hegseth criticized the US military for promoting too many leaders for the wrong reasons, such as race, gender quotas, and historic firsts. “The era of politically correct, overly sensitive ‘don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings’ leadership ends right now at every level,” he declared.

Mr. Trump echoed this sentiment, stating, “The purpose of America’s military is not to protect anyone’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic. We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom.” He added, “And we will be a fighting and winning machine.”

Mr. Hegseth also announced that he is loosening disciplinary rules and weakening hazing protections. He emphasized removing many of the guardrails the military put in place after numerous scandals and investigations. He said he was ordering a review of the department’s definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying, and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second-guessing.

The Defense Secretary called for changes to how adverse information is retained in personnel records, allowing leaders with forgivable, earnest, or minor infractions not to be burdened by those records forever. “People make honest mistakes, and our mistakes should not define an entire career,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Otherwise, we only try not to make mistakes.”

This approach comes despite evidence that bullying and toxic leadership have been suspected and confirmed causes behind numerous military suicides in recent years, including the 2018 suicide of Brandon Caserta, a young sailor bullied into taking his own life. A Navy investigation found that Mr. Caserta’s supervisors’ belligerent, vulgar, and brash leadership likely contributed significantly to his decision.

Mr. Hegseth used the platform to criticize environmental policies and transgender troops while highlighting his and Mr. Trump’s focus on the warrior ethos and “peace through strength.” He stated that previous administrations told the military “our diversity is our strength,” which he called an “insane fallacy.”

“They had to put out dizzying DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and LGBTQE+ statements,” he said. “They were told females and males are the same thing, or that males who think they’re females is totally normal.”

He also mentioned the use of electric tanks and COVID vaccine requirements as examples of mistaken policies. However, when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, “those physical standards must be high and gender neutral,” he asserted. “If women can make it, excellent; if not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result.”

Mr. Hegseth’s speech came at a time when the country faces a potential government shutdown this week. He has also taken several unusual and unexplained actions, including ordering cuts to the number of general officers and firing other top military leaders.

Hegseth has championed the military’s role in securing the US-Mexico border, deploying to American cities as part of Mr. Trump’s law enforcement surges, and carrying out strikes on boats in the Caribbean that the administration says targeted drug traffickers.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/trump-reveals-plan-to-use-us-cities-to-train-military-and-end-woke-culture-1813111.html

environment, health, policy, research

Indoor wood burners may be harming your lungs, study warns

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Wood-burning stoves have become increasingly popular across Europe in recent years, often promoted as an eco-friendly and renewable alternative to fossil fuels. However, new research suggests that using these stoves inside the home may come at a cost: a decline in lung function.

The study was presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam by Dr. Laura Horsfall, Principal Research Fellow at University College London’s Institute of Health Informatics. Her team’s findings add to a growing body of evidence that indoor wood burning may be more harmful than many people realize.

In the UK, domestic wood burning now contributes about 20% of harmful fine particle air pollution, known as PM2.5. These particles are tiny—less than 2.5 micrometers across—and can penetrate deep into the lungs. For comparison, road vehicle exhaust now makes up only about 4% of the UK’s PM2.5 emissions.

The shift has been dramatic: annual emissions from wood burning almost doubled between 2009 and 2023, rising from 3,200 to 6,000 metric tons.

“Wood burning at home emits harmful air pollution both indoors and outdoors, including substances we know can cause cancer,” said Dr. Horsfall. Despite this, the number of wood stoves in use has grown rapidly since 2009.

However, we still don’t fully understand the health impacts in high-income countries, where wood stoves tend to be used for lifestyle or aesthetic reasons rather than necessity.

To explore these effects, Horsfall and her colleagues used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, which tracks the health of older adults in England. They focused on a lung function measure called FEV1—the amount of air a person can exhale forcefully in one second. A lower FEV1 is linked to higher risk of conditions such as asthma, COPD, and other respiratory complications.

Studying the health impacts of wood stoves is tricky. People who use solid fuel heating in the UK are often wealthier and healthier than the average population. They smoke less and have lower rates of pre-existing lung disease. This means the negative impact of wood burning could easily be overlooked.

Even after accounting for these factors, the researchers found that people who reported using wood or other solid fuels experienced a faster decline in lung function over an eight-year period compared to non-users.

“Our study suggests that high levels of particulate matter from stoves damage respiratory tissues and trigger inflammation in much the same way as cigarette smoke,” Dr. Horsfall explained.

The team now plans to study whether people living in neighborhoods with a high concentration of stoves—such as affluent areas of London—also experience more prescriptions for inhalers or higher hospital admissions for lung disease.

Professor Ane Johannessen, an environmental health expert at the University of Bergen who was not involved in the study, said the results are significant.

“We already know from studies in low- and middle-income countries that wood smoke exposure inside homes is harmful, causing asthma, COPD, and lung cancer. This research suggests that the same risks could apply in European homes, where stoves are used for lifestyle reasons.”

Although modern eco-design stoves are marketed as cleaner than older models, the study authors stress that even newer stoves may not be risk-free.

Johannessen urged both the public and doctors to take the risks seriously. “Doctors should be asking patients about stove use when investigating unexplained lung problems. And families should be aware that these stoves could be harming their health.”

The findings highlight a pressing need for clearer public health guidance and regulation. While wood stoves may be cozy and marketed as eco-friendly, they may also be silently damaging the lungs of those who use them most.
https://knowridge.com/2025/10/indoor-wood-burners-may-be-harming-your-lungs-study-warns/

artificial intelligence, business, consumer electronics, technology

Amazon reveals range of new Kindle, Ring and Echo devices powered by AI

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Online juggernaut Amazon has unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring, and Echo devices, among other gadgets, all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant that made its debut in February.

The line-up, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York on Tuesday, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device featuring an AI facial recognition system. This new feature allows users to register friends and family and receive notifications about who is at the front door.

Amazon also introduced four new Echo devices revamped with Alexa+. These smart speakers provide personalized insights, such as alerts if the user left the front door unlocked after midnight.

In addition, the Seattle-based company revealed a series of Alexa+-infused Fire TVs. These TVs enable more personalized searches, like finding a specific scene in a movie or getting commentary about the previous day’s football game.

The presentation marked the first major product event for Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to lead the company’s devices and services teams. Panay brings with him a 19-year career at Microsoft, where he served as chief product officer.

Speaking to an audience of several hundred journalists and bloggers, Mr. Panay emphasized how Alexa+ and artificial intelligence are enabling technology to work seamlessly in the background. “Products creating subtle shifts in all our behaviour, driven by AI, integrated into the hardware,” he said. “And flowing natural through the products themselves. Whether it’s a camera catching what you missed; your Fire TV updating you on a game; or your Kindle remembering exactly where you left off.”
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/amazon-reveals-range-of-new-kindle-ring-and-echo-devices-powered-by-ai-1813170.html