Surprise! Fourth 'Poison Ivy' President Resigns

A worm larva dating back half a billion years has got a group of scientists very excited, and with good reason. Sitting right at the beginning of the arthropods, its body may contain insights into the evolution of a vast range of animal groups, including insects, arachnids, crabs, and centipedes.The fossil has been named Youti yuanshi, taken from the Pinyin yòut, meaning larva, and yuánsh, which means primitive. It’s a hat tip to the young age of the animal when it was preserved, locked for the rest of time in an early developmental stage, and the significance it holds in revealing the origins of the euarthropod body plan.Youti dates back 520 million years, landing it in the Cambrian Explosion, which was a bumper bonanza of species diversification. It was at this time that the key animal groups we see on Earth today first emerged, including the arthropods.This group of invertebrates is characterized by hard exoskeletons and versatile body plans, and they include things like arachnids, crustaceans, and insects. They’re among the most successful animals on the planet due to their adaptability to the environment, but they don’t always preserve so well in the fossil record.A rendering of the worm's head.Image credit: Smith et al., Nature, 2024 (CC BY 4.0) cropped by IFLScience“Hold my beer,” said one poppy-seed-sized worm from the Yu’anshan Formation in Yunnan Province, China, because it was found in an almost perfect state of preservation. Using synchrotron X-ray tomography, a team of scientists were able to create 3D images of the fossil, revealing preserved brain regions, digestive glands, a primitive circulatory system, and remnants of nerves.Suffice to say, they were pretty amazed by what they saw.“When I used to daydream about the one fossil I’d most like to discover, I’d always be thinking of an arthropod larva, because developmental data are just so central to understanding their evolution,” said lead researcher, Dr Martin Smith of Durham University in a statement.“But larvae are so tiny and fragile, the chances of finding one fossilised are practically zero – or so I thought! I already knew that this simple worm-like fossil was something special, but when I saw the amazing structures preserved under its skin, my jaw just dropped – how could these intricate features have avoided decay and still be here to see half a billion years later?”The team hope further investigation of their remarkable miniature find could yield insights into the steps evolution had to take to get us from this poppy seed to the incredible diversity of arthropods we see alive today. That includes the development of specialized antennae, mouthparts, and eyes that have enabled them to be so successful.Not bad, for a wee worm.The study is published in Nature.

MSNBC’s Alex Wagner joined CBS’s Stephen Colbert for Wednesday’s taping of The Late Show and somehow managed to claim that President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race was the high the country needed after the low of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Wagner also managed to heap copious amounts of praise on the “joyful” personalities of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Colbert asked, “Are you excited about this change of the election story?” Not only was Wagner excited, she did not even bother trying to hide it, “I mean, Stephen, yes. Yes, 1,000 times, yes, I'm excited.”     She added, “To go from an attempted assassination, which is a historic low for the country, right? To what is just an extraordinary act by a man, Joe Biden, but also a party in terms of coming together and trying to do what the party thinks is truly best for the country gives it real hope in a democracy, right? And not just because strategically it's better for Democrats, but it's also, I think, for someone who lived, for all of us who lived through the Trump years, there was a real question about where we were going as a country?” Portraying the Democrats as the embodiment of America, Wagner continued, “Are we edging towards a more perfect union? Or are we a country in reverse? Is Donald Trump the future or the past, is he an aberration or is he the new norm? Is Barack Obama the future or an aberration? And I think when you see what's happening gives hope that, actually, maybe Trump is the aberration. And that Barack Obama and Kamala Harris represent the future of the United States.”     Speaking of Harris, in their second segment, Colbert asked, “What do you think is different about 2020 Kamala Harris and 2024?” Wagner continued with one of the media’s favorite themes, “One is she has clearly gained a lot of confidence as the vice president and I see that most acutely, most tangibly, in her joy. Like, I always knew she was a really joyful, funny person… And what you see now is someone who is embracing her own joy. Now, that also happens to be a fantastic strategy, as Trump is out there as the horseman of the apocalypse. The Walz-Harris ticket is full of optimism and joy, and that's a great strategy, but it's also who she is, and it's really, I think, quite lovely to see a woman having fun in politics.” What is warning about the end of democracy if not "the apocalypse"? Still, Colbert agreed, “And that politics can be fun again. It’s been so dire for so many years now.” Later on, Colbert asked about Walz, “What's he like in person?”     Wagner fawned over Walz just as much as she did over Harris, claiming he is “delightful” and “I understand why Kamala Harris chose him, there's a little bit of Biden in him, in his kind of working-class, real talk, good guy persona. He came up with the ‘weird’ moniker for Trump and JD Vance, which was chef’s kiss, like, he said it on my program, and I was like, ‘Wow, that is so good.’”  She further argued, “He's incredibly normal and he too is joyful. There is nothing to be said for, what has it been, 786 years of bad news, dark, dark visions of America, American carnage, tombstones littering Broadway, or whatever Trump was painting a picture of, like, to have these two people who are coming in and saying, ‘It can be better. It will be better. We are here to help.’” Further contrasting Harris and Walz with Trump and Vance, Wagner also claimed, Trump “doesn't like his running mate. I mean, he doesn’t like—it's not clear he likes his wife. I don't even know if he likes his children.” With hosts like Wagner and Colbert, who needs to run ads? Here is a transcript for the August 14-taped show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 8/15/2024 12:04 AM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: Are you excited about this change of the election story? WAGNER: I mean, Stephen, yes. Yes, 1,000 times, yes, I'm excited. I will say I thought maybe this would be a chill summer of taking the kids to soccer camp, like, kicking back with a white wine spritzer, maybe a little bit early, no. It has been, for journalists, it's been an exhilarating time. For members of a democracy that we hope to be functioning, it's been a thrilling time.  COLBERT: Right. WAGNER: But it's also been exhausting, you know, and I think that we still haven't even processed what exactly is happening to us as a country, right? To go from an attempted assassination, which is a historic low for the country, right? To what is just an extraordinary act by a man, Joe Biden, but also a party in terms of coming together and trying to do what the party thinks is truly best for the country gives it real hope in a democracy, right? And not just because strategically it's better for Democrats but it's also, I think, for someone who lived, for all of us who lived through the Trump years, there was a real question about where we were going as a country? COLBERT: What's on the other side of this? WAGNER: What's on the other side of this? Are we edging towards a more perfect union? Or are we a country in reverse? Is Donald Trump the future or the past, is he an aberration or is he the new norm? Is Barack Obama the future or an aberration? And I think when you see what's happening gives hope that, actually, maybe Trump is the aberration. And that Barack Obama and Kamala Harris represent the future of the United States. … COLBERT: She seems to have really grown as a candidate. I always enjoy talking to her— WAGNER: Yeah. COLBERT: —but she seems very comfortable in the top position. What do you think is different about 2020 Kamala Harris and 2024? WAGNER: You know, there's a couple things. One is she has clearly gained a lot of confidence as the vice president and I see that most acutely, most tangibly, in her joy. Like, I always knew she was a really joyful, funny person and whenever I interviewed her, I saw on the campaign trail, which was, like, a lot, in 2020. You would see this difference when you interviewed her on camera and she would kind of become more serious and she would sort of play the role of politician more formally.  COLBERT: Yeah. WAGNER: And what you see now is someone who is embracing her own joy. Now, that also happens to be a fantastic strategy, as Trump is out there as the horseman of the apocalypse. The Walz-Harris ticket is full of optimism and joy, and that's a great strategy, but it's also who she is, and it's really, I think, quite lovely to see a woman having fun in politics.  You know? ‘Cause, like— COLBERT: Kind of forgot. WAGNER: When has that ever happened? COLBERT: And that politics can be fun again. It’s been so dire for so many years now. WAGNER: And that she feels that sense of confidence that she can be like “I’m who I am and I think this is funny and I'm going to laugh and Trump’s going to call me ‘Laughin’ Kamala’ and that's going to go nowhere” because the American public is okay with seeing a woman smile. … COLBERT: Have you ever interviewed Tim Walz? WAGNER: Yes. COLBERT: What's he like in person? WAGNER: Delightful.  COLBERT: Yeah? WAGNER: He's exactly the person that he, he is exactly—I mean listen, I think that what you see in Tim Walz, and I understand why Kamala Harris chose him, there's a little bit of Biden in him, in his kind of working-class, real talk, good guy persona. He came up with the “weird” moniker for Trump and JD Vance, which was chef’s kiss, like, he said it on my program, and I was like, “Wow, that is so good.”  Like, that's all he could contribute to the campaign and it would've been enough.  COLBERT: Right. WAGNER: But, he's incredibly normal and he too is joyful. There is nothing to be said for, what has it been, 786 years of bad news, dark, dark visions of America, American carnage, tombstones littering Broadway, or whatever Trump was painting a picture of, like, to have these two people who are coming in and saying, “It can be better. It will be better. We are here to help.” And that— COLBERT: I think one of the things is that they understand or one of the things that could explain this is that people actually like to see people who like each other. WAGNER: Yes! COLBERT: Say what you will about any amount of loyalty people offer Donald Trump, Trump doesn't like them. WAGNER: He doesn't like his running mate.  COLBERT: Right. WAGNER: I mean, he doesn’t like—it's not clear he likes his wife. I don't even know if he likes his children. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reached out to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and offered to drop out of the race and endorse her in exchange for a powerful — perhaps even Cabinet-level — position in her administration, should she win, but Harris has thus far ignored him.Last week, RFK Jr., a 70-year-old independent presidential candidate who comes from a legacy Democrat family, attempted to make contact with Harris' campaign to arrange a meeting to discuss the offer, according to multiple reports."From the beginning of this campaign, we were saying people should be talking to each other," RFK Jr. told the New York Post. "That is the only way of unifying the country."He also suggested that dismissing or ignoring his offer would be a "strategic mistake" for Harris."I think they ought to be looking at every opportunity," he explained, "I think it is going to be a very close race."Despite RFK Jr.'s public plea for Harris' attention, Harris and her team have yet to respond, according to Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, RFK Jr.'s campaign manager.'Mr. Kennedy is willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government.'The Democratic Party in general has made very clear it wants nothing to do with the son of Bobby Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, two Democrat titans of the 1960s who fell victim to assassination."No one has any intention of negotiating with a MAGA-funded fringe candidate who has sought out a job with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement," DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday.RFK Jr. has not denied making overtures to the Trump campaign. In fact, he and Trump reportedly met in person in Milwaukee last month to discuss a possible role for RFK Jr. in a second Trump term.RFK Jr.'s team also apparently leaked video of a phone call between RFK Jr. and Trump around that time. In the video clip, Trump touches on several topics, including problems associated with childhood vaccinations and his phone call with Biden after he was shot and nearly killed at the Butler rally, but does not overtly reference a role for RFK Jr. in exchange for his endorsement."Mr. Kennedy is willing to meet with leaders of both parties to discuss the possibility of a unity government," a spokesperson for RFK Jr. told the New York Post.Earlier this year, before Joe Biden dropped out of the race, RFK Jr. also attempted to make inroads with his campaign, to no avail.RFK Jr. told the New York Post that he has not had contact with the Democratic Party since he launched his campaign for president last year, and CNN noted that Democrats have run ads calling RFK Jr. a "spoiler."Harris' campaign did not respond to the New York Post's request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Speculation that President Joe Biden experienced a medical emergency in Nevada before he stepped down from his 2024 re-election campaign has since been confirmed, after newly released call logs from a Freedom of Information Act request indicate it was all true. According to the call logs, police cleared the roads from near the MGM Grand to Lindo Michoacan, to bring Biden to the airport following reports that he was code “421” — which means sick or injured. “Right now POTUS is 421,” a Las Vegas Metro Police officer radioed in. “We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on, and we’re going to go from there.” Immediately following the incident, Democrats claimed the speculation was not true and that he had a mild case of COVID. “There was a massive cover-up that was happening that Joe Biden had actually suffered a serious medical emergency in Las Vegas. He didn’t just test with mild COVID symptoms, and he was going back to Delaware to quarantine,” Liz Wheeler of “The Liz Wheeler Show” explains. “Something much more serious was actually happening.” “Hospitals in Las Vegas had been notified that the president of the United States was on his way, and it was only at the last minute that the president was diverted to the airport and flew back to the east coast,” she says. Wheeler is in disbelief. “The story was true,” she exclaims, noting that Charlie Kirk first brought attention to it before it was irrefutably proven. “President Biden suffered a serious medical emergency in Las Vegas, and we were not told about it.” “This was a cover-up staged by President Biden’s team, by the people controlling President Biden. This is not speculation. This is not unsubstantiated reporting. This is reality, and we have the proof to substantiate it,” she adds. Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Stop me if you heard this one before. You are the leader of an intergalactic space empire. But you’ve run into a bit of trouble. Turns out there's a lot of competition. If you want to prove yourself the one, true, rightful space empire, you gotta mine, battle, and strategize your way to beat out all those other wannabes and prove yourself the best. Sins of a Solar Empire 2 isn't here to mess with this formula. Continue reading Sins of a Solar Empire 2 review - a space opera with generic 4X joys

It’s been a while since we last had a trailer scored by the masterful Mick Gordon, best known for his storming, award-winning Doom soundtracks. But he’s back, and he joins a team of devs with past credits including Doom, Quake, Call of Duty, Killing Floor, and Max Payne at new studio emptyvessel to reveal Defect. A brutal squad-based multiplayer shooter set in an AI-ravaged cyberpunk dystopia, it pits gangs against each other and the city's ruthless police force in multi-team objective based conflict. Continue reading Defect is a brutal new cyberpunk FPS scored by Doom’s Mick Gordon MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best cyberpunk games, Best multiplayer games

When is the next Delta Force Hawk Ops alpha? The beloved Delta Force series is on its way back with Delta Force Hawk Ops. Deemed the "next generation of Delta Force", the upcoming game combines classic campaigns with new ones, as well as a range of multiplayer modes. The Delta Force Hawk Ops release date is still a way away, but that doesn't mean you can't get a look at the latest installment in the classic FPS game series before then. Despite still being in the alpha stage of development, developer Team Jade is inviting some players to try out the free PC game already. Read on to find out how to get your hands on the latest Delta Force Hawk Ops playtest. Continue reading Delta Force Hawk Ops alpha dates MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best upcoming PC games, Best multiplayer games

I’ll have to write about this in more detail once the full game arrives, but from what I’ve played so far, Hollowbody seems to be set inside one of my own personal worst nightmares. Mechanically it resembles classic Silent Hill and Resident Evil, a limited-ammo, fixed-camera survival horror game with tough combat and exploration-based puzzles, but visually it’s closer to Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City - or at least Night City’s bleakest, most decrepit little corners. Surreal and scary, Hollowbody is one of the best new horrors I’ve tried so far this year, and now the complete game is arriving on Steam soon. Continue reading Hollowbody is like a horror version of Cyberpunk, and it’s coming soon MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best horror games, Best indie games, Best survival games