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Up until now, scientists had only recognized a single species of giraffe made up of several subspecies. But, according to the most inclusive genetic analysis of giraffe relationships to date, giraffes actually aren't one species, but four. For comparison, the genetic differences among giraffe species are at least as great as those between polar and brown bears. The unexpected findings reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on September 8 highlight the urgent need for further study of the four genetically isolated species and for greater conservation efforts for the world's tallest mammal, the researchers say. "We were extremely...

The day after the Director of the FBI claimed that Hillary Clinton received classified emails on her personal email server before concluding that she violated no laws and would face no charges, a State Department spokesman contradicted him, stating that the emails in question had been improperly marked to begin with and therefore she did nothing wrong (something we reported last night). This morning, as the Director was being interrogated by House Republicans over his findings, one of the Democrats on the committee pointed out the discrepancy. This prompted him to revise his stance on the matter. Even as the...

Freshmen at a college orientation event have been told not to address other students with the phrase 'you guys' because it could be interpreted as excluding women. Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, has hired a chief diversity officer, Sheree Marlowe, who has directed students on how to avoid subtle insults known as 'microaggressions'. The trained lawyer who is 'committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education' recently told freshmen at Clark they should avoid asking a black student if he plays basketball. Freshmen at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, have been given advice on how to avoid 'microaggressions'

Barack Obama has nominated a Washington lawyer to the US District Court bench who would become the country's first Muslim-American federal judge if he is confirmed. Abid Riaz Qureshi is a lawyer at the Latham & Watkins law firm in Washington, specializing in health care fraud and securities violations, according to the White House. Obama nominated him Wednesday to serve on the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane, who said he plans to continue to sit during the national anthem this season, may not be doing so by himself when the team opens the regular season Sunday against Miami. Seattle receiver Doug Baldwin said Wednesday he is also considering sitting during the anthem before Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. kickoff at CenturyLink Field while linebacker Bobby Wagner said the team has been talking about a group action.

Hey Guys, I've been checking out some military fly-overs this week in eastern Pennsylvania and today a noteworthy flight took place : I had 5 fighter jets, 3 up front 2 in the back. External tanks, flying about 3000-5000 feet. Throughout the week I've spotted one of these flights everyday. I got a tail marking on one, but it appears they are all different. Can someone help me with a tail ID ? It was yellow on the bottom, Orange on top. It was slanted at less than a 45 degree angle, sloping towards the back. Does this marking ring...

Michigan’s retirement system for state employees has set aside 88 percent of the money needed to cover the benefits promised to current and future retirees. That's a better-than-average level for government systems, and the reason lies in part in a major reform adopted here 20 years ago. That is one finding of an updated study on public pension reform conducted by the Los-Angeles based Reason Foundation. Had the state not reformed the pension program, it would only have 68 percent of what is needed to cover future benefits workers have already earned. Through the reform, Reason estimates, the state avoided...

At the NBC News “Commander in Chief” forum on Wednesday night aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invented a new alibi for her mis-handling of classified information, telling host Matt Lauer that she used a secure server when she needed to send classified information. In July, FBI director James Comey revealed that Clinton not only withheld and deleted work-related emails, but also sent classified emails — many marked as such — on her private, non-secure email server. Clinton told Lauer on Wednesday evening: "I communicated about classified material on a wholly separate system....

President Barack Obama responded to Donald Trump's latest critique of his administration with a chuckle on Thursday and appealed for voters to challenge the Republican nominee's "wacky ideas." Trump said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had "been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader" while slamming Obama during Wednesday's Commander-in-Chief Forum.

The scoop on Taylor Swift and her instantly-shaky relationship with new boyfriend Tom Hiddleston! Rob Shuuter shows up on video to explain why Taylor also can’t get things going with a Super Bowl halftime show! Janet Jackson: Still Blacklisted Over Super Bowl Nip Slip! Get the bizarre inside story on why Taylor is still on the sidelines as stars like rival Katy Perry keep enjoying massive exposure! Check out Rob’s “Straight Shuter” column every week —

Some time back, I published an opinion piece stating that it might benefit Trump to be pro-water-resources in the western states. But I have found a much better wedge issue for him to exploit, and I know he is part way there already. Fix the damn roads and get the worst drivers off them. I just came back from a six-day driving trip that included the states of WA, OR, ID, NV, and UT in a loop starting and ending in my home in BC, Canada. Our roads are not always that great either, and all my comments about drivers...

As the October 1 deadline approaches for the us to turn over control of ICANN, the domain name non profit, to the international community, several congressional Republicans are vowing to fight the move because they say it's dangerous and premature. Politico: GOP lawmakers have long warned that the administration's plan to relinquish its authority over ICANN, the global nonprofit that manages the internet's domain name system, could give authoritarian countries like China and Russia an opening to make an online power grab. Now, as the actual date of the transition approaches — Oct. 1 — Republicans are looking at throwing...

The first ever openly lesbian Miss America contestant took the stage for the first time during the second night of the preliminary competition on Wednesday. Miss Missouri Erin O'Flaherty, 23, strutted her stuff during the swimsuit competition and spoke about National Suicide Prevention Week during her on stage question. Miss Maryland Hannah Brewer and Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields won the night's preliminary contests in the swimsuit and talent portion. Brewer won the swimsuit competition, while Shields nabbed the talent portion after jazz dancing to They Just Keep Moving The Line, a song from former NBC show Smash. 'We were just...

A European Union judge says an EU agreement to exchange air passenger information with Canada to combat terrorism should be revised because parts of it would infringe on people’s rights. Advocate General Paolo Mengozzi said in a legal opinion published Thursday that the deal signed in 2014 should not enter force in its current form. […] Under it, Canadian authorities would have access to the data of European travelers like contact details, credit card and other personal information. …

She's got diversion, obfuscation, BSing, and the parsing of words down. Do you think she's been taking lessons from Hillary!? I would not want to be this girl's parents if she is this independent and devilish-smart at such a young age. Video Link: Mia its Complicated

NBC News knows the "Commander-in-Chief Forum" was not Matt Lauer's finest hour. One executive, speaking anonymously, was blunt about it: "Disaster." The morning after Lauer's back-to-back interviews of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, several high ranking sources at the network said they hear the criticism and agree with at least some of it. Lauer was widely criticized for failing to fact-check or follow up when Trump falsely claimed that he was opposed to the Iraq war when it started. Some viewers thought Lauer held Clinton to a higher standard than Trump. Several people who were sitting in the audience told...

Stressed-out Michelle Obama went on a wild food binge and packed on a massive 95 pounds — triggering a shocking marriage crisis in the White House! Insiders told The National Enquirer that Barack Obama is fed up with her out- of-control appetite and exploding waistline, and has issued an executive order: Diet now, or we’re getting a DIVORCE!Now the disgusted Prez has even been caught without his wedding ring while touring the country of Laos! But the 5'11" first lady, crushing the scales at 257 pounds, still can’t stop stuffing her face, the insider said. She’s frantic with worry about...

Ever wondered what it would be like to go hog hunting with an elephant gun? If you’ve ever wondered what a 750 grain bullet fired from a .577 Nitro would do to a feral hog, then you need to see this video. Not only is a double rifle a stylish piece of gear for hunting dangerous game in Africa, but it is quite effective against feral hogs as well. For reference, a typical .30-06 Springfield hunting bullet weighs 165-180 grains. Though this is not small by any means, it is dwarfed by the 293 gr bullet fired by the 9.3x74mm...

The European Central Bank left its stimulus measures on hold Thursday and warned governments in the 19 country euro currency union that they need to do more to help the economy grow and push up inflation to healthier levels. The bank kept its key interest rates unchanged and decided against extending the duration of its existing bond-buying stimulus program. Bank President Mario Draghi seemed relatively confident about the economy and less inclined to hint at more stimulus than some analysts had expected. Instead, he used his news conference to urge governments to do their part. He said that implementation of...