Scientists uncover identity of mysterious 'golden orb' discovered miles underwater in 2023

A strange "golden orb" pulled from more than two miles beneath the Gulf of Alaska, once rumored to be everything from an alien egg to an unknown species, has finally been identified after a yearslong scientific investigation.

Researchers with NOAA and the Smithsonian announced the unusual object, first discovered in 2023 during a deep-sea expedition, is a remnant from a rarely seen giant deep-sea anemone called Relicanthus daphneae, specifically part of the organism that anchored it to the ocean floor.

The discovery was made using a remotely operated vehicle exploring about 3,250 meters (over 2 miles) deep, where it encountered the odd golden structure attached to a rock.

The strange, mound-shaped mass with a small opening stunned scientists at the time, who admitted they had no idea what they were looking at.

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"Was it an egg case? A dead sponge? Had something crawled into it … or out of it?" scientists asked.

The unusual find quickly captured public attention, fueling speculation online and within the scientific community. But determining its identity turned out to be anything but simple.

Dr. Allen Collins, a zoologist and director of NOAA Fisheries, said scientists needed to go beyond their routine processes and enlist the expertise of multiple people to solve it.

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"This was a complex mystery that required morphological, genetic, deep-sea and bioinformatics expertise to solve," Collins said.

Scientists initially struggled because the object lacked recognizable animal features. But closer analysis revealed it was made of fibrous layers packed with stinging cells, pointing to a connection with cnidarians — the group that includes corals and anemones.

CAPT William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration, said that the "golden orb" was just one of many "captivating mysteries" hidden in the deep ocean.

"This is why we keep exploring — to unlock the secrets of the deep and better understand how the ocean and its resources can drive economic growth, strengthen our national security and sustain our planet," Mowitt said.

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Catching your wife in bed with the neighbor took the fun out of swinging, and how soon is too soon to move on?

It’s Thursday again and on Thursdays at OutKick we set aside a few minutes for romance. Not just any romance, True Romance. I’ve been at it for a little over two years now, the first column dropped back on April 11, 2024, and they haven’t told me to stop doing it yet.

So here we are headed back into the woods of romance. We have a couple of heavy hitters leading the way and getting the path ready for us to follow. Kim Kardashian, an obvious romantic at heart, packed on the PDA in the ocean in Malibu with Lewis Hamilton this week.

How did the photographers know they were going to be there? That’s not my focus. All I know is I’m glad the call was put in so that we could have such a moment on the books. This is the real Kim K. She’s a lover, not a fighter.

I said that we have a couple of heavy hitters leading the way and I meant it. No, the other heavy hitter isn’t Lewis Hamilton. He can frolic in the ocean all he wants, but it takes more than that to be considered a heavy hitter in the eyes of this hopeless romantic.

The other one is Sydney Sweeney. Lost in all the Euphoria headlines and goings on as it relates to her lingerie line lately, was a significant development in her personal life. She finally went Instagram official with her boyfriend Scooter Braun.

What a day romance had when that finally took place. It’s hard not to smile at that news, and not just because she’s dating a guy named Scooter.

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Admittedly, it’s not on the level of two women brawling next to the casket at their lover’s funeral, but not much is. That’s why we go on these journeys each week.

This week is one of reflection. We have questions that need to be answered.

Should catching your spouse in bed with the neighbor take the fun out of swinging? And how long should you wait after your long-term relationship ends to have the new special someone move in?

Before we dive into that, go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook. Send your emails here sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer) and you can me on Instagram and Twitter.

How could this have all gone wrong? A married man with four years of swinging with his wife under his belt is now looking for a boring one-on-one relationship again.

He was first introduced to the swinging scene by a former boss who invited the couple to one of his "special parties," the husband wrote to the Daily Star. The couple was shocked at first, but then joined in on one of the "games" at the party after being won over with flattery and have been into swinging ever since.

That was until he caught his wife in bed with a neighbor of theirs. Lines have been crossed, there are hurt feelings, and the two of them can't see eye-to-eye anymore.

"Things got unpleasant and complicated at the end of last year when my wife started a secret affair with one of our swinging neighbors. I caught them red handed together in our bed and hit the roof," the husband explained.

"She’d broken our bond and gone behind my back, which is not how we roll. I accused her of being secretive and cheating even though I’ve had sex with dozens of people right in front of her."

Behind his back and in their bed. How could she have done this? What about the bond and how they roll? They don't sneak around for action with other people. They do it at parties with others like adults. Or so he thought.

His wife is now accusing him of having double standards and he can't help but agree. He has been with others, but he's always been open and honest about it. She's the one who started a secret affair, not him.

Is the solution to go back, if they can, to a traditional old school relationship? That sounds reasonable, but won't that need for adventure eventually get the best of them both? They'll just end up cheating on one another, right?

I have a better solution. Okay, maybe not better but I have a solution. These two have come too far to turn back now. They need to dive deeper into it. What do they have to lose? Not the marriage. He didn’t go anywhere when he uncovered his wife's secret affair. They're going to make it work and I, for one, am rooting for them.

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A couple in their mid-20s, he's 26 and she's 25, just couldn’t make it to seven years together. The seven-year itch was too strong and they broke up the day before their anniversary.

They had purchased a home together last summer and it was the boyfriend who ended it. Although, she got the impression that they "were just going to be on a break."

That was until she took a look at the security cameras and saw a new girl that he's handsy with bringing things into their house just three days after they had broken up.

"He said that he had made it clear we are not together and that he needs a roommate. He was bowling with her in his league and saw her at the bar the day after we broke up and asked her to move in," she wrote on Reddit about asking him what was going on.

KYLE BUSCH SENDS HAMLIN CHILLING THREAT, NASCAR WIFE IS 'AMERICA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL' & 1ST BLACK FEMALE WRECKED

"On the phone they both insisted that he never cheated on me. But then she bragged about cooking in our kitchen for him and giving him sexual favors on my couch."

His new special someone is a 34-year-old divorced mom of three. In other words, she'a a catch. She had her own relationship end with an ex-boyfriend of hers and might have some personal issues that makes it seem like she doesn’t have custody of her kids.

It sounds to this hopeless romantic like there might be more to this story.

Three days doesn’t, on paper anyway, appear to be enough time to put a seven year relationship in the rearview. That's, of course, ignoring what some people say about the abilities of a divorced woman in her thirties with kids to make you forget about your ex-girlfriend in just a few days.

Long story short, she flushed seven years down the drain. I'm confident there were many, many signs that her ex wasn’t the right one, but I'm equally as confident that she was able to repeatedly ignore them without skipping a beat. Sometimes your boyfriend breaks up with you to be with an older divorced mom and that's a good thing.

Let's wrap this week's column up with another question. Why not? This question is one that's been debated, and will continue to be debated, until the end of time. Is there something to happy wife, happy life?

Here's some of what they're saying about it on Reddit:

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That's it for the latest True Romance. We'll do it again next Thursday. In the meantime, feel free to reach out and answer any of the questions. Or send anything else you want to share, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com. Also, go follow along on Twitter and on Facebook. The DMs are always open.

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Common sweetener may trigger fat buildup in ways experts didn’t expect

"Drinking your calories" is typically discouraged where weight loss is concerned, as sweeteners in soda, coffees and other beverages are known obesity drivers.

A new review by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz suggests that fructose alone may drive metabolic disease via sugar consumption.

The study, published in Nature Metabolism, took a closer look at the role of certain sweeteners, like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, in obesity and metabolic disease. Both types contain glucose and fructose.

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Glucose ingestion may lead to obesity by stimulating insulin secretion, but fructose has "unique metabolic effects that promote triglyceride synthesis and fat accumulation," according to the study authors.

Triglyceride synthesis is the process by which the body builds triglycerides, the main form of stored fat.

"Under modern conditions of overnutrition, chronic excess fructose drives features of metabolic syndrome," the authors wrote. "Emerging evidence further links fructose to cancer and dementia." (In this context, "overnutrition" means the body is consistently getting more calories and nutrients than it needs.)

In a university press release, lead study author Richard Johnson, MD, professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz, confirmed that "fructose is not just another calorie."

"It acts as a metabolic signal that promotes fat production and storage in ways that differ fundamentally from glucose," he wrote.

YOUR DAILY DIET SODA COULD BE AGING YOUR BRAIN FASTER THAN YOU THINK, STUDY FINDS

The report suggests that fructose may contribute to disease because it skips important steps in how the body processes energy. This can lead to more fat production, lower cellular energy, and the buildup of a compound associated with metabolic dysfunction.

"Over time, these effects may contribute to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk," the researchers confirmed.

The authors added that fructose can also be produced internally from glucose, which suggests that its role in disease may be bigger than previously assumed.

"This review highlights fructose as a central player in metabolic health," Johnson commented. "Understanding its unique biological effects is critical for developing more effective strategies to prevent and treat metabolic disease."

As this research is a review, it only interprets existing evidence instead of proving a new result, posing a limitation to the findings.

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, certified holistic nutritionist Robin DeCicco shared that fructose is processed differently than other sugars, as it is mostly pushed through the liver, placing more of a burden on the organ.

"Unlike glucose, fructose metabolism … [can] make the liver turn the sugar into fat more easily, which is why the study said that it can lead to triglyceride regeneration," said the New York City-based expert. "Triglycerides are fat deposits in the arteries."

Another reason fructose may contribute to insulin resistance, blood sugar spikes and diabetes is that increased fat buildup in the body can interfere with insulin signaling, according to the nutritionist.

"Your pancreas doesn't know how to keep up with the signaling of insulin, so it has to produce more and more insulin, and that's what turns into diabetes," she said.

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DeCicco noted that fructose can be found in processed sugars, as well as natural foods like fruits and vegetables. The healthy qualities of whole foods — like high-fiber apples or asparagus — help promote fullness and are less likely to spike blood sugar.

Some natural sweeteners, like stevia and monk fruit, do not contain fructose. These may serve as better alternatives for people keeping a close eye on their metabolic health, such as those with diabetes or obesity.

Sweetening recipes with natural sugar byproducts, like apple sauce or apple juice, is another healthy alternative, DeCicco noted.

"Yes, there's fructose because it is derived from apples, but you're also getting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber," she said.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Maple syrup also has less fructose than honey, DeCicco added, and rice malt and glucose syrup have zero fructose.

"I'm not saying someone should go out of their way to use those, but if they already have a bad liver, if they're overweight, if they're diabetic … and if they need to bake or have something sweet, I would use one of those alternatives," she said.

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Don’t fall for the trap: Why the Raptors cover Game 3 vs. the Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) and Toronto Raptors (0-2) head north of the border for Game 3 of their first-round 2026 NBA Playoff series Thursday. Tip-off at the Scotiabank Arena is 8 p.m. ET and will air on Amazon Prime.

Toronto needs this game to avoid a historically insurmountable 3-0 deficit. Cleveland won and covered the first two games of the series: 126-113 in Game 1 and 115-105 in Game 2.

SHAQ HAS BLUNT EXPLANATION FOR WHY HE DOESN'T TEXT CURRENT NBA PLAYER

Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have torn the Raptors apart in the first two games. Mitchell is averaging 31.0 points per game (PPG) on 55.8% shooting, and Harden is adding 25.0 PPG on 53.1% shooting.

The Raptors have gotten good games from forwards Scottie Barnes (averaging 23.5 PPG) and R.J. Barrett (scoring 23.0 PPG). But their regular-season leading scorer, Brandon Ingram, has been awful, putting up just 12.0 PPG on 33.3% so far this series.

Given that Cleveland smacked Toronto in Games 1-2, doesn't "Cavaliers -3.5" feel like a trap line? I mean, the Cavs only need to win by 4+ points to cover when they've won the first two games by double digits. That said, the "Raptors +3.5" almost has to be a contrarian play.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON OUTKICK.COM

Furthermore, it's not all bad for Toronto because it's splitting the "four factors" with Cleveland. The Raptors need Cavaliers SF Max Strus, Mitchell, and Harden to cool off a bit, but players typically shoot worse on the road.

Speaking of which, I'm expecting Ingram to have a bounce-back game at home, where he plays much better. Ingram averages nearly four points per game at home and shoots better from everywhere on the floor.

Evan Mobley is Cleveland’s only good defensive starter, and no other Cavalier besides him can shut down Ingram. If the Raptors do a better job of getting him one-on-one against Harden and Mitchell, Ingram will get going, and Toronto can get back in this series.

Raptors starting PG Immanuel Quickley has been injured for the first two games of this series and is "questionable" for Game 3. I'm banking on Quickley returning Thursday because it's "all hands on deck" for Toronto. He averaged 16.5 PPG and 5.9 assists during the regular season.

Ultimately, the Cavs aren't that much better than the Raptors, and won't go up 3-0, which is basically a sweep. Or maybe Cleveland is, and Toronto still covers the spread.

Prediction: Raptors 113, Cavaliers 108

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

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What Virginia’s redistricting vote really means for Democrats and Republicans

Virginia Democrats got their number last night. But what they got was not a mandate, it was a margin. A razor-thin, 3-point squeaker that cost them $64 million in dark money to pull off, in a state where the governor won by 15 points just one year ago. If this is what victory looks like for Democrats, Republicans should be encouraged.

Let's be honest about what happened on April 21. Voters across Virginia were asked to ratify an amendment that a sitting circuit court judge had already declared void, not once, but twice, calling it a "blatant abuse of power." They were sold the word "fairness" on the ballot while Democrats designed a map that hands them 10 of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. They were told this was about the people's voice, funded by $93 million in largely anonymous cash, with $40 million flowing from House Democrat leadership's own political operation. If they were doing the right thing, they wouldn't have had to buy the election.

And the people of Virginia, particularly in rural communities, saw through it. Early voting was up across 70+ rural Republican localities. Lee County, Scott County, Alleghany County, communities that rarely make national headlines, turned out in force to say no to a gerrymander designed in a backroom by the same Richmond politicians who raised taxes and cultivated failing schools. That energy is real, it's not going away, and we are going to need it in November.

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But Democrats’ celebrations of the vote might be premature. The vote is not the final word.

The Virginia Supreme Court has already told both sides exactly what comes next. Before allowing the referendum to proceed, the justices wrote that "if the electorate approves the proposed amendment, we then must exercise our constitutional duty to review lower courts' declaratory judgments... and address de novo what equitable remedies, if any, are appropriate." In plain English: the court reserved the right to strike this map down, and it set a briefing deadline for tomorrow, April 23. The legal fight is not over.

The constitutional defects here are not minor. Democrats jammed this amendment through a special session that was called exclusively to address the state budget, then expanded it to rewrite the rules of congressional representation. They skipped the required 90-day public notice. And they passed the amendment while over one million Virginians were already casting ballots in the 2025 general election, a direct violation of Virginia's constitutional requirement that amendments pass before an election takes place. A judge found all three violations. The Supreme Court of Virginia must now decide whether it will enforce its own constitution or stand down because Democrats ran a successful, and expensive, public pressure campaign.

Now, we have to trust the court to do its job.

And if the court does its job, Republicans must be ready to fight the next battle. The RNC, the NRCC and Congressmen Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith filed suit because the process was corrupt from the start, not because Republicans are afraid of competition. We are not afraid of competition. We are afraid of a system where constitutional guardrails are demolished whenever the other side decides they're inconvenient. Today it's Virginia. Tomorrow it's your state.

This is the broader war Democrats have declared. When President Donald Trump and Republican governors used the legal redistricting process to draw competitive maps in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina, Democrats screamed about gerrymandering. Then they turned around and drew a map in Virginia that is, by any objective measure, the most aggressively gerrymandered congressional map in the country. It splits Prince William County across five separate congressional districts as well as Fairfax County into five separate congressional districts.

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Republican women across this country need to understand what is at stake. If this map stands, Democrats could pick up four House seats in Virginia alone, potentially enough to flip the majority and end the legislative agenda that is delivering for American families.

So here is my message to Republican women in Virginia and across the country: last night was a setback, not a surrender. The courts must consider the referendum’s wobbly constitutionality. Our lawyers are still fighting. Our voters showed up in record numbers in places no one expected. And when the Virginia Supreme Court issues its ruling, potentially within weeks, we need to be ready to mobilize, organize and amplify whatever comes next.

They spent $64 million to win by 3 points in a friendly state. We need to spend our energy making sure that investment never pays off.

Fight on.

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Basketball Hall of Famer Billy Donovan steps down as Bulls head coach after 6 seasons

After six seasons as the Chicago Bulls' head coach, Billy Donovan decided to step down from his role, the team announced Tuesday.

The Bulls, who fired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley two weeks ago, wanted Donovan back in the fold. But Donovan held an option in his contract for next season and opted out, according to ESPN.

"After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, to allow the search process to unfold," Donovan said in a statement released by the team.

"I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit. My gratitude for this community and this organization is permanent.

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"I owe so much to my players and staff over the last six years. You all have worked side by side with me, day in and day out, to drive the Bulls organization forward. And a huge thank you to Bulls fans. Your energy, passion and unwavering support provided a home-court advantage that is generally unmatched around the league."

Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf said he wanted Donovan to return for another season.

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"Billy Donovan is one of the finest people and coaches I have had the privilege of knowing and working with. He brought class and genuine care to this organization that made a real impact on people. We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach — that was never in question," Reinsdorf said in a statement released by the team.

"But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new Head of Basketball Operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise. That is the kind of person Billy is — he put the Bulls first. We are deeply grateful for everything he has given to this organization."

Donovan, 60, was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. The New York native wants to continue his coaching career, according to ESPN’s report.

In six seasons with the Bulls, he went 226-256 and made the playoffs once, in the 2021-22 season, when the Bulls lost in five games. Prior to coaching the Bulls, Donovan coached the Oklahoma City Thunder for five seasons, going 243-157 and making the playoffs all five seasons.

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GOP strategists called to DC as Trump team confronts rising midterm headwinds

With the six-month mark until Election Day 2026 closing fast, President Donald Trump’s top political advisers are meeting behind closed doors Monday with dozens of leading Republican political consultants from across the country for a strategy session as the party defends its razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities in the midterms.

The meeting, organized by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, comes as the party in power in the nation’s capital faces traditional political headwinds and is expected to lose congressional seats. Republicans are also battling a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, and the president’s underwater approval ratings.

The gathering, which was first reported by Politico, is aimed at establishing better coordination and sharing of data and strategy between the White House political team and consultants advising candidates in midterm showdowns.

STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP'S TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING

The meeting also comes two weeks after Trump announced that Blair would temporarily step down from his White House role to steer midterm strategy from the outside. The president said in a social media post that Blair would take "a short leave of absence to lead the charge from the outside" against Democrats, and after the midterms would "return again to the White House, so we can finish the job."

This is the second major gathering ahead of the midterms. Wiles, Blair and other top Trump political advisers met in February at the party’s Capitol Hill Club with Cabinet officials and their top aides to discuss promoting the Trump agenda and other midterm messaging.

Trump made a two-day swing last week to Nevada and Arizona, two crucial swing states in this year's elections, to highlight the tax cuts that congressional Republicans passed, and which he signed into law last summer.

BACK ON THE TRAIL: TRUMP HITS BATTLEGROUND STATES TO TOUT TAX CUTS

The president's stops were part of a full-court press last week by Republicans, around last Wednesday's tax filing deadline, to spotlight the tax cuts, which they insist will give them a political boost with voters in the midterms.

The tax cuts were a key component of Republicans’ massive domestic policy measure, which passed almost entirely along party lines in the GOP-controlled House and Senate.

The law, originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but rebranded as the Working Families Tax Cuts, is stuffed full of Trump's 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president's signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES AIM AT DEMOCRATS FOR OPPOSING TRUMP TAX CUTS

But much of the GOP messaging last week was overshadowed by coverage of the war with Iran and Trump's very public spat with the pope.

Republicans in Congress are increasingly concerned about the political climate ahead of the midterms.

"If we lose the midterms, it'll be because we didn't talk about what moms and dads are worried about when they lie down to sleep at night...and that's primarily the cost of living, GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Saturday in an appearance on Fox News' "The Big Weekend Show."

And pointing to the tax cuts, Kennedy said the "One Big Beautiful Bill is going to help a lot of people in terms of their taxes and a lot of small businesses. And that's what I wish the president would talk more about. If we talk about it, we'll win the midterms."

Despite the Democratic Party's poll numbers hitting all-time lows over the past year, Democrats are energized heading into the midterms thanks to a slew of off-year-election and special election victories and over performances, thanks in part to their laser focus on affordability since Trump returned to the White House.

The Democratic National Committee, in an email release Monday to supporters, claimed that "Republicans are in trouble ahead of the midterms — and they know it."

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