Winston, a much beloved western lowland gorilla living at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, has died at the age of 52, park officials announced on Sunday.Believed to be one of the oldest male gorillas in the world, Winston’s passing came around seven years after staff at the zoo noticed his health beginning to deteriorate.“Wildlife care teams monitoring Winston's heart noticed signs of decline in recent years, and he had been receiving medical treatments for several age-related conditions, including heart disease, degenerative joint disease, and kidney disease,” explained a social media post from the zoo announcing Winston’s passing.As with humans, it’s not unusual for gorillas to experience such health problems as they age, and not much of a surprise at all considering Winston lived well beyond the average 33-year life expectancy for male gorillas.  “Our medical care for these animals has really advanced over the last 10 to 20 years,” said Lauren Howard, DVM, associate director of veterinary services at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, in a statement from 2017, when Winston first became ill. “So, a lot of our animals are living longer than they used to – and with that comes age-related changes. And Winston’s no different.”Those age-related changes, however, got progressively worse, with the gorilla and his troop also being diagnosed with COVID-19 back in 2021.“After careful consideration stemming from furthering complications from his worsening conditions, and with Winston’s quality of life top of mind, wildlife health and care teams made the difficult decision to compassionately euthanize him,” the park said in a statement seen by the San Diego Union-Tribune.Winston first arrived at San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 1984 alongside five other gorillas, eventually fathering nine children and becoming the troop’s silverback. Though his 195-kilo (430-pound) frame may have seemed intimidating to the unfamiliar eye, he was known as a particularly magnanimous leader.“We often say he is the best of us,” said wildlife care specialist Kelly Casavant in September 2023. “His level of compassion, and how kind he is, is unsurpassed. We see it with us, but we definitely see it with how he treats the troop members.”Perhaps the best example of that was when Winston allowed two unrelated male gorillas to join his troop – something that’s pretty unusual for silverbacks to do.“This gentle giant will be remembered for his quiet strength, easygoing nature, and heart of gold,” reads the park’s social media post.“[H]is contributions to gorilla conservation will continue to improve the lives of great apes around the world for generations to come.”

For the first time, researchers have discovered a potential explanation for Gulf War Illness (GWI), a condition that has afflicted many veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. The condition is likely caused by intense exposure to hazardous chemicals and biological agents at the time.GWI, or sometimes Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), is a chronic, debilitating, and multisystem disorder that affects those who served during the Gulf War. Between 1990 and 1991, 42 countries, including the US and the UK, formed a coalition to fight Iraq after its then-President Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait.The coalition forces consisted of nearly a million defense personnel engaging in combat, many of which were exposed to various hazards, both known and unknown. These included environmental stressors, as well as biological and chemical agents like insecticides, pesticides, insect repellent, nerve agents, smoke from oil well fires, and even depleted uranium.  At the time, defense personnel were given certain prophylactic measures to help combat or prevent the worse issues, but even these contributed to the cocktail of chemicals and biological agents their bodies were exposed to. Over three decades later, it is estimated that somewhere between 25 to 32 percent of veterans continue to experience health issues as a result of their exposure.Generally speaking, GWI presents with a number of symptoms, these include chronic fatigue, hypertension, pain, inflammation, sleep disturbances, rashes, diarrhea, neurological and cognitive impairment, and respiratory disorders. However, not all GWI patients will experience all of these symptoms, which can make diagnosis difficult, causing more stress for those living with it.For a long time, no one knew exactly what caused GWI. There have been various hypotheses, but many have been ruled out over the years. Now this new research offers some important and tangible answers to this decades-old mystery,  "The findings from our research provides clear scientific evidence that the health problems experienced by Gulf War veterans can be directly linked to their exposure to specific hazardous agents during their service”, Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, the director of the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Disease (NCNED) at Griffith University, Australia, said in a statement.According to Marshall-Gradisnik and colleagues, cell structures integral for transporting calcium into cells, called transient receptor potential ion channels, are defective in veterans with GWI. Normally, calcium ions serve as signaling molecules within cells; they play a crucial role in regulating essential functions such as muscle contraction, nerve function, and hormone secretion.“Our study reveals a crucial dysfunction in cell ion channels, specifically the transient receptor potential ion channels, in veterans with GWI”, Marshall-Gradisnik added. “This discovery is a significant step forward in understanding this baffling and complex illness.”The team’s findings represent a crucial step in demystifying GWI as it offers tangible scientific evidence that validates the experiences of so many people. As Gulf War veteran and GWI advocate Ian Allwood stated, “To be believed means the world to us”.“For those in the Veteran community that have been suffering, this is the first step in identifying a causal factor," he said. "This is groundbreaking research that will hopefully open pathways to treatment for the often-debilitating symptoms. Our veterans were prepared to lay their lives on the line, representing Australia, in the name of freedom. We owe them a debt of more than gratitude. They have suffered injury as a direct result of their service.”It is hoped that this new research will serve as the first step for future research that not only continues to investigate what is going on in the cells but also offers therapeutic strategies to treat and manage GWI.The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.  

The date: 1.4 million years ago. The place: a large basin surrounded by mountains in southern Spain. An unsuspecting mammoth walks slowly over the land. Four meters (13 feet) tall and 11 tonnes heavy, she doesn’t worry too much about predators. That is, until her feet start sinking in the ground. Her huge mass compared to small foot surface is working against her as she sinks deeper into the unexpected quicksand. Unable to escape, she becomes easy prey. Ready to attack are two unlikely commensals: giant hyenas and humans. This is the story told by the findings at the latest archaeological dig near Orce, on the edge of the Guadix-Baza Depression. This site is rich in fossilized remains of human and animal activity from the Pleistocene. It is the site where, to this date, the oldest hominin fossil in Western Europe has been found. It’s a tooth and it’s 1 million years old. It is also where archaeologists have uncovered the remains of many large herbivores along with mammoths: giant hippos (Hippopotamus antiquus), giant deer (Praemegaceros cf. verticornis), giant two-horned rhinos (Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis) – you get the picture. That's how it got the ominous nickname "elephant graveyard".On the bones of these giant herbivores there are marks left by the teeth of scavenging carnivores, and by the tools human ancestors used to reach the marrow inside. How humans got access to these large prey was still unclear. A recent study reported an analysis of the composition of the rock layers in this site and found that the upper archaeological levels were composed of two thirds sand and one third clay. "These fine sand sediments, deposited close to the paleolake that was in the region, would also contain slightly saline water, a mixture that explains that they could have worked as quicksand, where larger animals were trapped," said Paul Palmqvist and María Patrocinio Espigares, the University of Málaga scientists leading the study, in a statement. The fossil of a southern mammoth (Mammuthus meridionalis) was found surrounded by 34 hyena coprolites.Image credit: Palmqvist et al, Journal of Iberian Geology 2024 (CC BY 4.0); cropped by IFLScienceThis study suggests opportunistic behavior on the part of both humans and hyenas, attacking the naturally trapped herbivores that they were otherwise unlikely to be able to hunt. The identity of the giant hyenas (Pachycrocuta brevirostris) that dined on the mammoth was given away by the excrement that they left at the site. In case you ever wondered, there is a name for fossilized poop, and it’s "coprolites". This study is published in the Journal of Iberian Geology.

Liz Wheeler, host of “The Liz Wheeler Show,” premiering July 24 at 5:00 p.m. ET on BlazeTV, revealed the two biggest takeaways in the wake of the assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump that rocked the nation over the weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania. “1.They tried to kill Trump by assassination because they hate us,” Wheeler said on X of supporters of President Trump.Wheeler wasted no time in pinning down who she says is responsible for the shooting.“2. The media & the left, including Biden, who’ve spent 8 years calling Trump Hitler & a threat to democracy, are to blame,” she added. — (@) “Cast your vote accordingly,” the author of “Hide Your Children: Exposing the Marxists Behind the Attack on America's Kids” opined. For critics who would claim that the left and its media allies are not at fault, Wheeler had choice words. “Don’t even come at me saying I shouldn’t blame the left for this,” Wheeler said over the weekend. “The left is ABSOLUTELY to blame. They’ve spent 8 years calling Trump a fascist, dictator, Hitler, dangerous, authoritarian, evil. What did the left THINK would happen? THIS. This is what the left knew would happen.” — (@) “Small assumptions allow big lies,” "The Liz Wheeler Show’s" description explains. “”The Liz Wheeler Show’ challenges everything. On this show, it’s be based or our country dies.”Indeed, Wheeler continued with that theme via X, adding, “Don’t let the media tell you it’s a conspiracy theory to ask why the Secret Service failed to secure the closest rooftop with a direct shot to Trump on stage.”On Monday, Blaze News reported that Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi claimed that the rooftop used by the gunman was under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement.The Secret Service deployed two counter-sniper teams at the Trump rally, but the counter-sniper did not need approval to shoot the would-be assassin, and "prior protocols were not followed,” according to a source with inside knowledge. To make sure you don’t miss Wheeler’s first episode on BlazeTV, use promo code LIZ30 to get $30.00 off a subscription.

One of the richest people in the world has reportedly decided to share a fair portion of his wealth with a super PAC supporting the election efforts of former President Donald Trump.On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk — the leader of X, SpaceX, and Tesla — has pledged to donate a staggering $45 million a month to America PAC, beginning in July. The reports of Musk's ample pledges to America PAC come on the heels of Musk's official endorsement of Trump. Less than an hour after Trump was shot during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Musk announced that he supports Trump in the presidential election this November.If true, Musk could donate more than $150 million in the next four months, a sum that would dwarf the largest known super PAC donation of the 2024 election cycle. That record currently belongs to a descendant of banker Thomas Mellon, who reportedly donated $50 million to another Trump-related PAC. Musk allegedly already contributed a "sizeable amount" to America PAC, but a filing from the group submitted on Monday did not include Musk's name. In response to a WSJ social media post about his alleged forthcoming donations to America PAC, Musk shared a meme with the message, "Fake gnus."The filing did include the names of other high-profile figures, including investor twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who each donated $250,000, and Joe Lonsdale of Lonsdale Enterprises, who donated $1 million.The filing further notes that America PAC, which was just established in late May, raised nearly $9 million in the second quarter and currently has about $100,000 in cash on hand.America PAC did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.The reports of Musk's ample pledges to America PAC come on the heels of Musk's official endorsement of Trump. Less than an hour after Trump was shot during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Musk announced that he supports Trump in the presidential election this November.Throughout 2024, Musk has made comments that, at the time they were made, suggested political ambivalence but in retrospect could hint at his upcoming alleged donations to America PAC. Back in February, for example, Musk insisted he would not donate "to either candidate for US President," a statement that vows to give no direct financial support to either Trump or Biden but does not preclude donations to candidate-adjacent organizations like America PAC.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President Donald Trump named Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) Monday as his running mate, emphasizing that as "Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN." Vance noted in response, "What an honor it is to run alongside President Donald J. Trump. He delivered peace and prosperity once, and with your help, he'll do it again. Onward to victory!" Tucker Carlson, who joined Trump and Vance at the Republican National Convention following the announcement, made clear earlier in the day precisely why Vance was the right pick. Addressing a crowd Monday at the Heritage Foundation's Policy Fest, Carlson prefaced with a condemnation of the political class and the type of people he regards as its predominant constituents. "I spent the whole day dealing with politics — this day, starting at 5 a.m. — and I ... forgot how repulsive a process it is, and how feline and ruthless the players are. It was a reminder why I don't like politicians," said Carlson, who later suggested that "deception is at the core, actually, of who they are." 'Every bad person I've ever met in a lifetime in Washington was aligned against JD Vance.' Carlson suggested that whereas those he regularly speaks to on both sides of the spectrum are invested in their causes and mean what they say, politicians alternatively tend to be opportunists who traffic in empty rhetoric in pursuit of power. According to Carlson, the efforts by various personalities to lock down one job in particular — that of Trump's running mate — helped illustrate this point. "There's this job. One person makes the decision, and whoever gets the job immediately has a lot of power. And it really is like waving a flank steak over an alligator," said Carlson. While disgusted by the process and some of the prospects vying for the steak in question, Carlson intimated that Vance stood apart from the others. "Now JD Vance is the VP pick, and I think every person who pays close attention has gotta be thrilled by that," continued Carlson. "And if you don't know much about JD Vance, I'm not even going to make a case for JD Vance. I'm going to tell you what I just saw, which is that every bad person I've ever met in a lifetime in Washington was aligned against JD Vance." While various deep-pocketed Republican donors were actively demeaning the Appalachian populist, Rupert Murdoch reportedly launched a massive lobbying campaign to dissuade Trump from picking Vance. A source in the Trump camp apparently told NOTUS that Murdoch had been calling Trump multiple times a day to instead choose North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for his running mate — the would-be VP pick Republican strategist Karl Rove also tried to boost over Vance. Murdoch's personal campaign against Vance spread to two of his publications, namely the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, which both ran multiple editorials hammering Vance. As the desperation grew and the choice neared, the campaign against Vance among establishmentarians became increasingly desperate and aggressive. Blaze News previously reported that former Obama adviser and Democratic strategist David Axelrod said Vance should be disqualified for suggesting that Biden's inflammatory rhetoric set the stage for the attempted assassination on Trump. Vance wrote shortly after Trump was nearly murdered by a would-be assassin, "The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination." Axelrod wrote, "If @JDVance1 is on the short list for VP, this Tweet, sent an hour after the assassination attempt in PA, ought to disqualify him in the eyes of the Trump campaign. Wrong vibe in that moment." "Trump probably doesn't want a shoot-from-the-hip VP," added Axelrod. Adam Kinzinger, a former member of the House Jan. 6 committee, joined the Democratic strategist in suggesting Vance's remark was disqualifying. Failed Republican presidential candidate Joe Walsh responded to Vance on X, writing, "What a sick, disgusting tweet. Donald Trump IS an authoritarian fascist. The Biden campaign is correct to say that. And to connect the millions of Americans who believe that to this shooting is utterly irresponsible. You’ll make a perfect Trump VP. Shame on you." Trump's decision to ignore such statements and to ultimately pick Vance enraged Bill Kristol and his fellow travelers. "Having turned the Republican Party into the Trump Party, [Trump is] now turning a Trumpist party into a Trumpist movement. Indeed, the selection of Vance marks the completion of the transformation of a conservative political party into an authoritarian movement," wrote Kristol. "Vance has been more consistently and fervently America First in foreign policy than Trump. He's more committed to ethno-nationalism and anti-'elite' populism than Trump. He's been more committed to destroying any non-political civil service than Trump. He's more contemptuous of the norms, institutions, and mores of liberal democracy than Trump." Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney also melted down over Vance's selection, writing, "JD Vance has pledged he would do what Mike Pence wouldn't — overturn an election and illegally seize power. He says the president can ignore the rulings of our courts. He would capitulate to Russia and sacrifice the freedom of our allies in Ukraine. The Trump GOP is no longer the party of Lincoln, Reagan or the Constitution." Carlson emphasized that the nature and disposition of Vance's detractors spoke volumes about the former Marine. 'They thought he would be harder to manipulate and slightly less enthusiastic about killing people.' "It's not like I think ... God's always on my side. Sometimes I'm not on God's side," said Carlson. "But I definitely know who's representing the other side." "It's a lot easier to tell who the people who are only in it because they like, I don't know, killing other people in pointless wars," continued Carlson. "I know who those people are, and their odor is so powerful that I can smell one when he walks in the room. And every single one of those people, in a line that would extend from Milwaukee to Chicago, was lined up last week to knife JD Vance." According to Carlson, this enmity toward Vance was not because of who he is as a person, noting he is a nice guy and one of the few in Washington with a happy marriage. Instead, the attacks were launched because "they thought he would be harder to manipulate and slightly less enthusiastic about killing people. That's it — that he would be an impediment to their exercising power and, boy, they went after him in a way I've just kind of never seen." Carlson went on to note that the attacks on Vance and the assassination attempt on Saturday have underscored for him that the battles underway are not simply political but spiritual. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Supermassive Games and Dead by Daylight is a match made in heaven. On the one hand, we have the best interactive horror games you can play today, and on the other is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that keeps getting better with age. The Casting of Frank Stone promises to finally bring the two together, and we have a release date at long last. Continue reading DBD spinoff The Casting of Frank Stone finally has a launch date MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best horror games, The Casting of Frank Stone release date, Best adventure games

Even though it’s been just a couple of weeks since Once Human took Steam by storm, there have been plenty of reports from players that cheaters are plaguing the free-to-play hit. Well, the survival game just issued its first wave of bans for those it has caught being up to no good, and it isn’t holding back, with over 400 players issued bans that last for almost ten years. Continue reading 430 Once Human players just got hit with 10-year bans for cheating MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sandbox games, Best open-world games, Best survival games

It started as an internet rumor, but we checked, we double checked, and we can now confirm it directly - Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, the upcoming RPG sequel, will be given away completely free to select backers of the original game. The Warhorse classic started life as a Kickstarter project all the way back in 2014. Now, with KCD 2 on the horizon, players who pledged above a certain threshold during those early days will get the game absolutely, completely free by way of a thank you from the developer, which confirmed the news to PCGamesN directly. Continue reading Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is completely free to some backers of KCD 1 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best action-adventure games, Best medieval games

If you’ve been holding out for a bargain SSD deal before taking the plunge with your next upgrade, then now’s the time to dive head-first into the Amazon Prime Day sales and bag yourself a new SSD. Several of our favorite drives have been awarded hefty discounts, with 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs going for just $59.99, and super-fast 2TB PCIe 5.0 drives available for under $240. You’ll find a lot of these drives in our guide to the best SSD for gaming, and they come from big names in the business, including Samsung and WD, as well as Crucial. There are many SSDs discounted right now, though, and not all are genuine bargains. That's where I can help, as I've been testing SSDs since the early days of IDE drives, right up to the PCIe 5.0 drives of today. Here is my expert advice on which SSD to buy on Amazon Prime Day. Continue reading Don’t miss these 5 amazing gaming SSD deals on Prime Day MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Crucial MX500 review, Best SSDs for gaming