Upgrade your home office with the best Uplift Desk discount codes. Save on standing desks, ergonomic chairs, and accessories during the Spring Setup Sale.View the full article

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Many scientists have contended that humans have evolved very little over the past 10,000 years. A few hundred generations was just a blink of the evolutionary eye, it seemed. Besides, our cultural evolution -- our technology, agriculture and the rest -- must have overwhelmed our biological evolution by now. A vast study, published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, suggests the opposite. Examining DNA from 15,836 ancient human remains, scientists found 479 genetic variants that appeared to have been favored by natural selection in just the past 10,000 years. The researchers also concluded that thousands of additional genetic variants have probably experienced natural selection. Before the new study, scientists had identified only a few dozen variants. "There are so many of them that it's hard to wrap one's mind around them," said David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School and an author of the new study. He and his colleagues found that a mutation that is a major risk factor for celiac disease, for example, appeared just 4,000 years ago, meaning the condition may be younger than the Egyptian pyramids. The mutation became ever more common. Today, an estimated 80 million people worldwide have celiac disease, in which the immune system attacks gluten and damages the intestines. The steady rise of the mutation came about through natural selection, the scientists argue. For some reason, people with the mutation had more descendants than people without it -- even though it put them at risk of an autoimmune disorder. Other findings are even more puzzling. The researchers found that genetic variants that raise the odds of a smoking habit have been getting steadily rarer in Europe for the past 10,000 years. Something is working against those variants -- but it can't be the harm from smoking. Europeans have been smoking tobacco for only about 460 years. The scientists can't see from their research so far what forces might be making these variants more or less common. "My short answer is, I don't know," said Ali Akbari, a senior staff scientist at Harvard and an author of the study. The researchers also found that some variants, like the one linked to Type B blood, became much more common in Europe around 6,000 years ago, while others changed direction over time. For example, a TYK2 immune gene variant that may have once been beneficial later became harmful because it increased tuberculosis risk. The study also found signs of natural selection in 44 out of 563 traits. Variants linked to Type 2 diabetes, wider waists, and higher body fat have become less common, possibly because farming and carbohydrate-heavy diets made once-useful fat-storing traits more harmful. Other findings, such as selection favoring genes linked to more years of schooling, are harder to interpret. Read more of this story at Slashdot. View the full article

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer of failing to understand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as the new Democratic front-runner pledges to abolish the agency if elected. During an appearance on "The Ingraham Angle" Wednesday, Mullin pushed back on Steyer’s comments that ICE has "criminal" tendencies. "I’m very straightforward about this; ICE should be abolished," Steyer said at a February debate. "You really can’t reform an organization which is absolutely wrong and criminal from top to bottom." Mullin, who took the reins of the Department of Homeland Security roughly three weeks ago, said the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful does not have the power to abolish the federal immigration agency. IGNORED ICE DETAINERS ‘PUT LIVES AT RISK,’ DHS SAYS, TARGETING NEWSOM, PRITZKER, HEALEY "He doesn't have the authority to do it, and he's talking on the left side of his mouth," he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. "He doesn't understand ICE's role." Recent polling places Steyer as the front-runner in the race to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom. He leads with 21% of likely voters, while Republican candidate Steve Hilton trails at 18%. Steyer has emerged as a sudden Democratic front-runner after various sexual misconduct allegations forced Eric Swalwell to drop his gubernatorial campaign and resign from Congress. Mullin criticized Steyer’s stance on immigration enforcement, arguing that ICE is required to abide by federal law. "ICE simply enforces the nation's immigration policies and deports individuals and goes after the criminals that should never be in this country to begin with," the DHS chief told Fox News. DHS SECRETARY MARKWAYNE MULLIN SIGNALS CLOSER SCRUTINY OF CUSTOMS AT MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY AIRPORTS "We're not doing anything outside the law, we're working well within the law, and they're doing a job every single day protecting, even people like himself, that want to decriminalize criminals. It doesn't make any sense to me." Mullin also said Steyer’s fellow California Democrats, who largely hold anti-ICE stances, have the power to reform ICE through congressional legislation. "[Steyer] says they're criminal from top to bottom? ICE is enforcing the laws that Congress passed. That means that the Democrats that represent California in the federal government, if they wanted to change ICE's authority, they could do it," he added. Fox News Digital reached out to Steyer's campaign for comment. In addition to defending ICE, the new DHS secretary pledged to maintain the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign and communicated a willingness to accept the "right" kind of immigrants. "We're not slowing down," Mullin said. "We're going after the illegals, and we would love for them to leave on their own, and we'll assist them. We have programs to help assist you to go back to your country, because if we have to go through the prosecution process, you'll never come back in this country legally ever." "We want legal immigration, people that want to make the country stronger. We're a nation of immigrants. We understand that. But the right kinds of immigrants." View the full article

Pandemonium: Pro Wrestling was among the companies to kickstart WrestleMania week in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. While a relative unknown promotion among pro wrestling fans, Pandemonium held their "Whatever Forever" show as part of Shooting Star Fest. Dozens of fans poured into the Bizarre Bar in Las Vegas for hard-hitting action in an intimate setting where they had no other choice than to feel the wrestlers’ pain. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM AMIRA took on Janai Kai and Saya Ida in the main event for the Pandemonium: Pro Championship. AMIRA walked into the venue as the champion and left the same way. She successfully powered through all of Kai’s kicks and Ida’s knife-edge chops. After getting Ida out of the ring, AMIRA put her attention on Kai. She hit the world’s strongest slam on Kai and pinned her for the win. WEST COAST PRO TO SHOWCASE WRESTLING AT ITS ‘RAWEST FORM’ WITH RISING WOMEN’S STAR HEADLINING ITS MAIN EVENT Johnnie Robbie, who received a ton of praise heading into the week, took on Natsupoi. The one-time Wonder of Stardom champion gave Robbie all that she could handle. Even as Robbie appeared to have the upper hand in the match, Natsupoi was able to use her speedy in-ring ability to gain momentum. Natsupoi hit a cartwheel body press and pinned Robbie for the win. Several other pro wrestlers on the card impressed with victories, including Joseline Navarro, Miko Alana, Jiah Jewell and the New Fever tag-team duo of Danny Orion and Shimbashi. Indie pro wrestling companies are going to be on full display throughout the entire week, and fans were treated to the perfect appetizer for the days to come in the city of sin. View the full article

Daniel Duggan was arrested in 2022 over claims he illegally trained the Chinese military in South Africa.View the full article