New research on chimpanzees shows that female chimpanzees have been observed to undergo menopause. These chimpanzees living in an East African woodland continue living for decades after becoming biologically incapable of reproduction. This discovery challenges previous understandings of menopause and sparks questions about its evolutionary significance.

 Published on ScienceNews, this research highlights a close genetic relationship between humans and chimpanzees, stating that both species are inclined toward post-reproductive survival.

The study focused on 185 females in the Ngogo community of wild chimpanzees in Uganda. The results revealed that hormonal indicators of fertility declined after reaching the age of 30, with no recorded births in chimpanzees aged over 50. Nevertheless, 16 Ngogo females lived beyond the age of 50, with some even reaching their 60s. These findings suggest that females in this community experience approximately 20% of their adult years after losing their capacity to reproduce.

According to anthropologist Kristen Hawkes from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, some evidence indicates that the age at which female fertility declines is similar in humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). However, in other research, female chimpanzees, including those observed by Jane Goodall at Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, aged rapidly and often didn’t live past their early 30s, even though they continued to have menstrual cycles.

Hawkins claimed that “What’s surprising is so many females living so long after menopause”

In summary, this discovery challenges our existing knowledge of menopause in nonhuman primates and opens up new possibilities for researching evolution of this phenomenon.

Surprisingly long-lived wild female chimps go through menopause

In a groundbreaking revelation, female chimpanzees living in an East African woodland have been observed to undergo menopause and then continue living for years or even decades after becoming biologically incapable of reproduction. This discovery challenges previous understandings of menopause and sparks questions about its evolutionary significance.

These chimpanzees, which represent the first known instances of wild, nonhuman primates experiencing menopause and outlasting their reproductive years, were the subjects of research conducted by Brian Wood, a UCLA evolutionary anthropologist.

 Published in the journal Science on October 27, this research highlights a close genetic relationship between humans and chimpanzees, implying that both species are inclined toward post-reproductive survival.

The study focused on 185 females in the Ngogo community of wild chimpanzees in Uganda. The results revealed that hormonal indicators of fertility declined after reaching the age of 30, with no recorded births in chimpanzees aged over 50. Nevertheless, 16 Ngogo females lived beyond the age of 50, with some even reaching their 60s. These findings suggest that females in this community experience approximately 20% of their adult years after losing their capacity to reproduce.

According to anthropologist Kristen Hawkes from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, some evidence indicates that the age at which female fertility declines is similar in humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), provided that our primate relatives have a sufficiently long lifespan. However, in other research, female chimpanzees, including those observed by Jane Goodall at Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, aged rapidly and often didn’t live past their early 30s, even though they continued to have menstrual cycles.

Hawkins claimed that “What’s surprising is so many females living so long after menopause”.

This study challenges previous theories concerning the evolution of human menopause, which posited that grandmothers played a vital role in caring for their grandchildren. In the case of chimpanzees, this theory does not hold, as females move to new communities during adolescence, leaving no breeding daughters nearby to provide assistance.

An alternative explanation is that older female chimpanzees may possess the experience and knowledge required for group survival, a trait observed in certain other mammals, such as killer whales. Alternatively, factors like reduced predation by leopards, access to ample food, and competition with other chimpanzee groups may have contributed to the extended female longevity in the Ngogo community.

It’s important to acknowledge that these findings are specific to the Ngogo chimpanzee population inhabiting an undisturbed forest environment, and may not be universally applicable to other chimpanzee populations.

This research also prompts the question of whether menopause might be an inherent characteristic in primates that becomes more apparent as mortality rates decrease.

In summary, this discovery challenges our existing knowledge of menopause in nonhuman primates and opens up new avenues for researching the evolution of this phenomenon.

Surprisingly long-lived wild female chimps go through menopause

The police are investigating the death of an American ice hockey player named Adam Johnson after an unexpected accident while playing for the Nottingham Panthers in England.

The event happened on Saturday during the Panthers’ game against the Sheffield Steelers in the middle of the second period where Johnson appeared to get seriously hurt in a collision with a Steelers player.

Spectators were told to leave the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, and the game was immediately stopped. On Sunday, the Nottingham Panthers confirmed that Adam Johnson had died in what they called a “freak accident during the game.” Adam Johnson was 29 years old.

Councilor Joe Otten, who leads the Sheffield Council’s safety team, expressed their sympathy, saying, “Firstly, our thoughts are with Adam’s family, friends, and teammates during this very sad and tough time.”

He also mentioned, “Our safety team is working together with the South Yorkshire Police for their investigation and will provide support as needed.”

After this event, fans are now leaving flowers outside the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, where the Panthers play. People from all over the world are also paying tribute to remember Adam Johnson.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/sport/police-investigating-adam-johnson-death-spt-intl/index.html

On Thursday, law enforcement in southern Maine initiated a manhunt for an armed individual believed to be responsible for a tragic incident. It is suspected that this individual, at a crowded bowling alley in Lewiston and a nearby bar, took the lives of at least 18 people. As a safety measure, residents of the city and surrounding areas were advised to take shelter and remain indoors.

During a press conference, Governor Janet Mills shared that, in addition to the fatalities, at least 13 people were injured during these attacks. The authorities have identified the suspect as Robert R. Card, a 40-year-old resident of Bowdoin, Maine. Governor Mills claimed that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

“Maine people should not approach him under any circumstances”, stated Governor Mills as the city and nearby towns were put on lockdown.

 A photograph has been released to aid in his apprehension, depicting a man wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and carrying a military-style semiautomatic rifle. As of now the police have located a vehicle about 8 miles lewiston that raised eyebrows but haven’t released an update on the lead thus far. 

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/25/us/lewiston-maine-shooting

20 miles outside Russia’s border, a missile strike took place at a postal depot, killing 6 workers.

Overnight, the missile struck a postal warehouse on the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, resulting in the tragic deaths of six workers and injuries to at least 16 other employees, as reported by Ukrainian authorities.

This facility was located in Korotych, one of the western suburbs of Kharkiv, according to a message from Oleh Syniehubov of the regional military administration on the Telegram messaging app. In a separate communication, Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office accused Russian forces positioned across the border in the Belgorod region of firing a surface-to-air missile.

Private postal owner Nova Poshta stated “ a missile just hit it” in a facebook post that showcased a video of the bomb damage.

Approximately 60 miles from the war’s front lines, Kharkiv finds itself in close proximity to the Russian border, just around 20 miles away. With that being said, the city has frequently been the recipient of missile attacks. The war between Russia and Ukraine is very much still alive and still has yet to see any signs of closure anytime soon.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/world/europe/russian-missile-ukraine-depot.html

With the vast increase in technology over the past few years, society has seen a decrease in the traffic for journalists throughout the global media space. In an interview with corporate marketer Thomas Ritchie, Ritchie stated that ” Journalism has died” in addition to a few exampled on how much it has changed over the past years. Ritchie had worked in Journalism for 25 years before moving over to he marketing team over at Great West Casualty in South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Ritchie explained the changes he has seen in his work spaces throughout the past years and has experience lots of change in the world of Journalism. Throughout Ritchie’s career, he first worked for a newspaper press in South Dakota that once had over 72 creative people on the team. Today there is now 8-9 with Richie claiming that ” Journalism still exists, just whole different”. In today’s world, there are less magazines and Ritchie has even gone to state that there is a “splintered media consumption” in today’s society and that media today is far easier to be skewed. This is very important due to the powerful influence the media has in the world and the new trends that are always changing the current narratives in the world. One trend is the introduction of AI. AI challenges many writers but can also be a good source of help if used properly, Ritchie explains.

Ritchie is someone who had been around the Journalism and marketing space for a long time and suggests getting real good at one thing before trying to learn everything else as that is what separates one from another.

The usage of performance enhanced substances has been a problem that has been seen throughout the MLB. Over the past decade the debate on whether or not steroid users should be allowed induction into the hall of fame is something that never seems to go away.

 Some would say that steroid users still were required to be very skillful and great at playing the game of baseball and performance enhanced substances were only a minor aid in those players’ success. Players like Barry Bonds and Jose Conseco were amazing at the game and put up some incredible numbers that steroids can’t take all of the credit for. At the end of the day a player is still required to hit the ball with the bat and throw the baseball at the target.

With the continuous cases of steroid usage in the MLB, it doesn’t seem like players plan to stop trying to use them any time soon. With that being said the question lies in how credible and reputable a players career should be viewed after being caught using illegal substances and if players caught should still be given the same opportunities as everyone else.  

Although one is still required to have the fundamentals to play the sport, performance enhanced substances still have an effect on outcomes within a player’s game and thus is considered cheating no matter how one may choose to look at it.

With a topic like this, I was able to interview a couple Morningside University Baseball players to hear their point of view and opinions on the matter. 

Pitcher Luke Marr stated “ Steroid users should either be all considered, or none at all”. Marr challenged the idea of consistency within the MLB system with situations that have taken place in the past. 

An example of this can be seen with Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz. Early in Ortiz’s career, he was caught using steroids and received a minor suspension as a rookie. Years later his career took off in Boston where he became a All-Star and three-time World Series Champion while being clean of any steroid suspicion. In 2020 David Ortiz was inducted into the Hall of Fame with exceptional numbers but had left a sour taste in people’s mouth. Why was he allowed to be inducted when a player like Barry Bonds, who had a far greater resume, will never get that opportunity. The difference is the timing of when the player was caught and the impact it seemed to have had in their careers but the rules lack consistency. 

Marr also mentioned that every user should have a fair assessment of their usage and that there needs to be more consistency in their ruling. “Gate Keeping the HOF from steroid users that were so good their numbers looked like video game numbers, should not be a factor”, Marr stated.

 With known users to be in the Hall of Fame already, why should the best of users not be considered when they used the same substances as someone like David Ortiz? This was Marr’s biggest argument as he emphasized the lack of consistency and treatment for every player across the board.

Along with Luke Marr, I was also given the opportunity to interview catcher Jayson Willers. When asked his thoughts on whether players caught using steroids should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, his answer was pretty clear. “If you were caught taking steroids at any given point in your career, you should not be in the Hall of Fame no matter who you are”, stated Willers. Willers was then challenged with a question regarding the lack of rule awareness and clarity for players and whether or not that idea should be taken into consideration. In response, Willers stated that “Players who have taken steroids knew that it was illegal no matter how unclear the rules are, yet they still took them” implying that there should be no consideration taken for any player caught using PEDs. 

The rules of the MLB are very strict and enforced and when a player is aware of the possible consequences, they should be ruled as accountable for their actions. 

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino of Chelsea has seemingly integrated lemons into the sport of soccer. It has been confirmed that Coach Pochettino keeps a big box of lemons in his office at the training facility of the Premier League club, located in Cobham, south of London. He started doing this a few years ago because a friend suggested it, and it’s a way for him to connect with a higher form of energy called “energia universal,” which is something he believes in.

Lemons have held various meanings and uses in different cultures over time. They are considered sacred in Hinduism and are used to keep away bad spirits in some traditions. Some people think lemons have healing and purifying powers and can bring positive energy, inspiration, personal growth, good luck, and love. However, it’s still uncertain if they can help heal muscle or serious ligament injuries.

Pochettino has stated that he disagrees with the belief that “they can soak up negative energy” although there hasn’t been any signs of positivity within the last few games Chelsea has played. Although many are questioning his beliefs, Pochettino still believes in the lemons and that it may take more time for them to aid success for Chelsea in the future.

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Brian Cornell, CEO and Chair of Target, states, “Steady stewardship has always been our growth philosophy,” emphasizing the commitment to meeting current and future guest needs. Cornell mentions that the company aims to value strategy and capabilities to “grow steadily” and “profitably.”

Cornell also mentions that growth in recent years was consistent. In the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Target experienced “never-before-seen growth rates” that challenged the business model. However, the strong fundamentals, careful capital management, and connection with guests allowed the company to manage the rates. In 2022, the company saw growth exceeding $3 billion, making Target “$30 billion bigger than it was in 2019.”

Target’s growth relies on consistent customer trust and loyalty, backed by a 2.1% traffic increase in 2022, marking the “sixth straight year of growth” in this critical metric. The team’s ability to adapt to guests’ changing needs, has been key to success.

When asked about an athletic achievement, Morningside Goalkeeper Isabel ter Weene had a one that quickly came to mind. Three years ago, before coming to the U.S., Isabel qualified to attend a tournament in Spain with a prestigious club called B1 Soccer. Isabel had stated that ” The experience was nice, high level, and very professional”.

This was an event that was very honorable and fun for Isabel was she was able to travel to Spain and play the sport she loves. Overall there was a lot to gain from this experience and it is one that Isabel will never forget.