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Earth is a treasure trove of biodiversity, with over 8.7 million known species alive today, and that only represents an estimated 20 percent of all of the existing species that currently exist. But despite the sheer diversity of lifeforms, be it plant, animal, or microbe, we all share a common single-celled ancestor that started to diverge into new species 1.6 billion years ago. And because of that common ancestor, all species have a lot in common when it comes to our DNA: chimpanzees are nearly genetically identical to us; we share 69 percent of our genetic makeup with the otherwise oddball platypus; and we have even one-quarter of our code in common with rice.
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I have been very hesitant to write about what has been happening in my life recently. I have left a partial record in the "Awakening" talks in our subscriber area, but have not described the depth, intimacy or the absolute sense of reality that accompany these experiences. The reason that I haven’t done it is that they involve contacts with Anne. Now, one might say that it’s important to make a record because it empowers others. That’s only partially true. I have a number of friends who have lost loved ones and are grieving. But none of them have had experiences anything close to what is going on between me and Anne, and stories like this have a tendency to deepen grief, in two ways. First, the person thinks ‘why doesn’t that happen to me?’ and feels sad.read more

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A flood of historic proportions could inundate parts of the Gulf Coast over the next 48 hours. The region has already received record amounts of rainfall, and flooding has killed at least one person and caused enormous amounts of damage across a wide area. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and the Louisiana emergency management office has called it a "historic flood event."

In a 24-hour period over Friday and Saturday, Baton Rouge reported 11.34 inches of rain. The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend.
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