Our best estimates of the composition of the universe indicate that it is mostly dark matter and dark energy, neither of which have been detected on Earth. Even the baryonic matter we sometimes call the “observable universe” is three quarters hydrogen and 23 percent helium, by mass, and even less if you’re counting atoms. It's a very different matter on Earth, where helium is among the rarest elements, and hydrogen is a fraction of one percent of the crust and much less of the Earth as a whole.Where we startedOn the scale of the universe, hydrogen is abundant primarily because so much of it was made in the Big Bang. In the first moments after its birth the universe was a mess of quarks and gluons. Once things settled down, most observable matter consisted of electrons, protons, and neutrons, along with some more exotic subatomic particles. The electrons and protons generally found each other to form hydrogen. A small amount of helium and even less lithium was also produced.Much of that primordial lithium has been destroyed in stars, but the same stars fused hydrogen to become helium and, later in their lives, into the rest of the periodic table. Nevertheless, if you look at the universe as a machine for converting hydrogen to other elements, it is still young, with most of its journey ahead of it.Looking only at the Earth, however, that job seems almost complete. Our oceans are two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen (with the sodium, chlorine, and other salt-making elements thrown in). Some is also bound up in rocks or attached to carbon molecules as methane in the atmosphere. Still, as a proportion of the atoms in the planet as a whole, there isn’t much hydrogen.There's far less helium, however; so little that no one noticed it until its spectral lines were spotted during an eclipse. Like all the planets, the Earth was formed out of a protoplanetary disk. This in turn was made up of hydrogen and helium from the Big Bang, along with a sprinkling of heavier elements fused in earlier generations of stars and spread across the galaxy in supernova and kilonova explosions.The Sun, and the gas giant planets of the outer Solar System have compositions that approximately reflect this, although of course plenty of the Sun's original hydrogen is now helium. The Earth, and other inner planets, are completely different.So where did these elements go?Besides their abundance in the universe, what hydrogen and helium share is that they are both very light gases. That means they can easily escape the Earth's gravity. A larger planet, such as Jupiter, has held onto much more of each by virtue of having so much more gravitational pull; Earth simply wasn't big enough. Adding to that, the Earth is a lot closer to the Sun than the gas giants. Gases get warmed more, giving them energy that increases the chance of escape.Helium is particularly rare because, being a noble gas, it almost never combines with any other atoms that might tether it enough to prevent escape. Most planetary scientists doubt any of the original helium from the planetary disk survives on Earth, although a mechanism has been proposed that could account for a little. The helium we do have is largely a result of radioactive decay of heavier elements. One common form of decay involves the production of alpha particles, whose two protons and two neutrons are the same as the nucleus of a helium-4 atom. Once released, alpha particles can capture electrons from the environment to become helium. If released near the surface, the helium atom is likely to make its way to the atmosphere, and then to space. However, helium produced from radioactivity deep underground can become trapped in cavities within the Earth.Although widely associated with party balloons, helium has more important applications like cooling scientific equipment and MRI machines to temperatures too cold for alternatives like liquid nitrogen. Our stocks depend on drilling into ancient spaces where helium has built up over millions of years. The same spaces often also hold other gases in much greater abundance, and most helium stocks were collected as a byproduct during drilling for methane. However, as the world turns away from fossil fuels, higher concentration helium sources may become priorities.Hydrogen is more abundant on Earth than helium because it bonds readily with elements like oxygen. A molecule of water vapor weighs nine times as much as an H2 molecule, making it far less likely to escape. Nevertheless, most of the hydrogen in the planitesimals that combined to form the Earth is thought to have escaped long ago, particularly when impacts turned the planet’s surface to a sea of magma.There is a long-running debate over whether Earth’s water includes hydrogen from the planet’s formation that survived deep in the mantle, or if the Earth ran dry at one point, before being refreshed by hydrogen in comets and asteroids. Irrespective of which side is right, however, the Earth is lucky to have as much hydrogen as it does. The Moon and other inner planets have much less, having lost most through similar processes to those on Earth, but with even less gravity to prevent escape. All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

It looks like a baby dragon from Game of Thrones or perhaps a desert-dwelling Pokémon, but the armadillo girdled lizard is very much a real animal.They are known by a few different names – including the armadillo lizard, the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, and the golden-armadillo lizard – although they’re scientifically known as Ouroborus cataphractus.The genus name Ouroborus is derived from the ancient symbol "ouroboros," which depicts a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, often used to represent the concepts of eternity, the cyclical nature of life, and the endless cycle of renewal. The species name "cataphractus" comes from the Greek word "κατφρακτος" (kataphraktos), meaning "armored" or "covered.”It’s the perfect name for these charismatic little creatures. The lizard’s armor-like scales are the species' most defining feature and help to protect the animal from predators in the harsh, dusty desert of South Africa’s western coast.They typically hide in the cracks of rock faces where they live in large groups of 30 to 60 individuals, leaving only to hunt bugs and soak up the Sun. At the first sign of danger, they will quickly dart back into the crevice. If they are unfortunate enough to be caught by a predator, the armadillo lizard will bite its tail, just like the ouroboros symbol, to protect its vulnerable underbelly.A better view of the Armadillo girdled lizard in all its glory.Image credit: reptiles4all/Shutterstock.comThe armadillo lizard is a member of the family Cordylidae, which includes a bunch of small- to medium-sized lizards that live in southern and eastern Africa.Its unique appearance isn’t the only unusual feature of the species. Armadillo lizards are one of the few species of lizard that do not lay eggs and give birth to live young, a form of reproduction called viviparity. The process is taxing for mothers, but it can be advantageous for harsh environments as it helps to protect them from environmental hazards like extreme heat and predators.The female may even feed its young after it is born, which is almost unheard of among reptiles and typically a trait associated with mammals and birds. Along with natural threats like predation, the lizard faces several unnatural challenges in its habitat, including over-exploitation and poaching for the pet trade. As such, they are listed as “near threatened” on the IUCN Red List.Armadillo girdled lizards are not permitted to be exported from South Africa without appropriate documentation, but they are known to be illegally trafficked out of the continent, including to the US, where they’re sold as pets.

Authorities in Spain are investigating a 39-year-old man after it was discovered that, on a quest to get some exciting photos for social media, he had poured water over 6,000-year-old cave paintings, causing them to be damaged.Agents from the Spanish Civil Guard’s Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) launched the investigation in May, after coming across the images on Facebook. The posts mentioned that they were taken in the Sierra Sur de Jaén, a mountain range in southern Spain that’s protected by the country’s heritage register.“The photographs show that water has been poured onto the cave paintings, wetting them in order to see them better and capture a clearer image,” said the Guardia Civil in a statement seen by CNN.While that might’ve given the man a clearer view of the paintings for his Facebook profile, it’s likely that no one else will get to see the paintings as they were again.The sedimentary rocks found in this particular part of the Sierra Sur de Jaén are limestone, which is water-soluble; the salts within them would’ve initially been dissolved by the water, before forming a crust when it eventually evaporated. That crust, said the Guardia Civil, can cause “irreparable damage”.But as many of the people who damage ancient historical evidence end up discovering, fuck around and you’ll find out; the man is now being investigated for crimes against historical heritage, under legislation set out in the Spanish Constitution to protect the country’s heritage for future generations. Probably not how he expected to start his anthropology influencer era.Across the pond, the US is also all too familiar with similarly destructive antics. Back in 2022, vandals scratched a racist phrase over 2,000-year-old Native American petroglyphs in Utah, while the one ancient rock art site that’s accessible in Zion National Park is the most graffitied place in the entire park.It’s part of the reason why the location of so much of the rock art in places like national parks remains a closely guarded secret, to the point where there’s an unspoken rule between those that stumble upon it to not share its exact location, out of respect for preserving and protecting the art.If you’re one of the lucky few that gets to see a bit of ancient human history, whether secret or on public display, the advice from the National Park Service is to leave well alone – and leave the water bottles for drinking from.

Are you following a right-leaning media outlet on Elon Musk’s X platform (formerly Twitter) to stay informed about breaking news? The Media Research Center has some bad news for you. A new MRC study of X’s algorithm revealed that leftist activists secretly working against Musk’s free speech vision for his platform may have found new victims to suppress: right-leaning media outlets critical of the Biden-Harris regime.  The study specifically shows that the algorithm is prone to stifle posts by right-leaning media outlets while conveniently promoting those of leftist media outlets, according to answers and data provided to MRC by Grok, the Musk-owned xAI chatbot.  These results are consistent with MRC’s previous studies showing how X favors Democrats in Congress over their Republican counterparts and how the platform also favors Vice President Kamala Harris over Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance. If short on time: The data unveiled that an overwhelming majority of the left-leaning media outlets receive highly favorable scores in the four core metrics used by the X algorithm to determine which accounts to amplify and which to suppress. A staggering 100 percent of left-leaning media outlets are assigned favorable “reputation” scores by X’s employees, meaning the official pages of these outlets enjoy far broader reach.  Here’s how.  The “reputation” scores run from 0 to 100 and weigh heavily in the algorithm’s calculation for which accounts to recommend to others, according to Grok’s answers to MRC. This score is also called “Tweepcred.” Grok told MRC that a score of 65 out of 100 is the “minimum” score required for a user to be recommended. “Accounts with higher Tweepcred scores are more likely to have their posts seen by a larger audience, while those with lower scores may have their posts deprioritized in the platform's algorithm,” the chatbot claimed. Socialist magazine Jacobin and infamous leftist outlets HuffPost, Mother Jones, MSNBC and DemocracyNow! are among those deemed reputable by the staff at X who seem to be rebelling against Musk’s vision of a free-speech platform devoid of election interference.  In contrast to these left-leaning media outlets, X skewered the right, deboosting nearly 74 percent of the right-leaning media outlets reviewed by MRC. That is 17 out of 23 or three-fourths of the right-leaning media outlets.  Responding to these findings, MRC Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider said,  “We have seen over and over that there remains a radical remnant within X fighting against Elon Musk. This latest report is shocking. It shows that X’s radicals treat right-leaning news outlets even worse than NewsGuard does.”  In sum, of the 62 media outlets reviewed by the MRC, the algorithm deemed that those on the left — including the self-described socialist magazine Jacobin and MSNBC — are more appealing, more reputable, less toxic and retain followers at a higher rate on average when compared to their counterparts on the right. New York Post, The Daily Wire and Blaze Media are among those media outlets on the right. The data explained: To determine each account’s score, MRC prompted Grok with tailored questions so that the AI chatbot reviewed the platform’s backend to unveil the scores. This methodology was first disclosed by an anonymous researcher on X known as “@The1Parzival.” According to data reviewed by the MRC, X uses four core metrics to calculate each user's “visibility” score. These metrics are “Mass Appeal” (diversity of followers), “Reputation” (purported reliability), “Toxicity” (potentially offensive content or perceived harmfulness) and “Follower” (follower retention). According to @The1Parzival, the algorithm uses this score to determine whether to amplify or suppress posts from accounts using these metrics. Posts will receive greater reach depending on the specific score awarded by X. For a more in-depth explanation of the methodology, revisit our first study of the X algorithm. Let’s run some numbers: MRC used the media bias chart by ratings firm AllSides that classifies media outlets on their perceived bias on a left-to-right scale. The evidence showed that X anointed left-leaning media outlets with an average and favorable, visibility score of 82.64/100. In contrast, X punished right-leaning outlets with an average score of 63.56, giving the left a 19.08-point advantage on average. An explanation for how X granted these outlets such favorable ratings is found in how the platform determined the individual score for each metric. X’s favoritism for leftist outlets is even more blatant in these metrics. With an average score of 56.52, the right is far more likely to be censored than the left. Some of these media outlets include well-respected media outlets The Washington Times, The Federalist, Fox News, The Daily Wire and The Daily Caller. The outlets described by AllSides as centrist are also safe from the X algorithm. Outlets like the BBC, Forbes, NewsNation and Reuters, enjoyed an average reputation score of 74.44 out of 100, which is a 10-point advantage over outlets on the right.  X turns a blind eye to leftist’s toxic posts: The X algorithm grants high “toxicity” scores to media outlets known for their subjectively divisive and hostile posts. Left-leaning media outlets received an average toxicity score of 26.33, a grossly low number when compared to the 47.60 average score granted to right-leaning media outlets. That is a 21-point disparity. Accounts with conveniently low toxicity scores include that of The New York Times (10/100), which on Oct. 17 incorrectly blamed Israel for an airstrike against a Gaza-based hospital. Jacobin, the socialist magazine, enjoyed a relatively low toxicity score of 40, despite sharing posts hailing radical philosopher Karl Max and praising socialism. On June 18, Jacobin was community-noted after falsely linking Noam Chomsky to Marx. Moreover, on July 19, Jacobin suggested Republicans were to blame for the failed assassination attempt on Trump. MSNBC, unmatched by Jacobin and The Times, and with a toxicity score of 20, still features posts about the demonstrably false claims about the Russian collusion hoax. “Watch @chrislhayes ask authors Michael Isikoff and David Corn about the 'pee tape,’” MSNBC tweeted on March 15, 2018. X’s Bias Problem: This MRC study follows two earlier studies suggesting that X’s algorithms favored the left. In one study, X promoted Harris over Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate—likely helping Harris reach a broader audience months ahead of her elevation as the Democratic nominee for president. Another earlier study showed how X boosted congressional Democrats’ posts while suppressing those of Republicans ahead of the 2024 election. X Employees Leading Anti-Musk Revolt: Upon purchasing X (then Twitter), Musk pledged to elevate free speech as a cornerstone of the platform. However, several MRC studies, most recently on its algorithms, suggest that there is a remnant of Jack Dorsey-era employees at X working tooth and nail to undermine free speech and maintain the censorship apparatus. In May, Musk responded to Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) concerns that X’s algorithms cunningly reduced the visibility of specific accounts. “How long will it take to get rid of the stage-five clingers at X—those who still periodically throttle conservatives?” Lee asked. The tech mogul pledged to investigate the issue, saying, “Well, neither conservative [sic] nor progressives should be throttled. The point is to have an even playing field. I will investigate.” It isn’t immediately clear whether Musk followed up with his pledge. However, the MRC studies suggest that the algorithms still disproportionately target Republican politicians, right-leaning media outlets and Biden-Harris opponents. MRC Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider hailed Musk’s past free speech pledge but cautioned him to watch his back, as the ghost of the Jack Dorsey-owned Twitter 1.0 is still haunting the algorithms. Editor’s Note: Former MRC Free Speech America Intern Christian Baldwin contributed to this report by calculating the X data.  METHODOLOGY: Social media researcher @The1Parzival first unveiled how to get Grok to scrounge X’s backend to determine how the algorithm determines which accounts to censor and which ones to amplify.  Between June 7 and June 25, MRC researchers used Parzival’s prompts to ask Grok to ascertain “visibility” scores for the media outlets listed in AllSides’s Media Bias Chart.  The questions were specifically tailored so Grok would only report the essential criteria that would determine whether or not a specific account on X is pushed/recommended to other users on the platform (“Mass Appeal,” “Reputation,” “Toxicity,” and “Follow”).  Grok calculated numerical value scores between 1 and 100 for each account. MRC researchers then calculated the average scores for media outlets across all four criteria used by the algorithm to determine X’s “visibility” scoring process.  To determine how X weighted each of the four categories in determining a “visibility” score, MRC researchers prompted Grok with eight tests between July 1 and July 2 to assess how each of the metrics were weighted to uncover which was considered most important when determining whether or not an account would be boosted or deboosted.  Grok repeatedly provided information with minor variations on how each category was weighted to determine a final “visibility” score.  MRC researchers then took the average weighted percentages across the eight tests to deduce a mathematical formula. When the averages were computed, the categories were weighted as follows:  Mass Appeal (38 percent), Reputation (30 percent), Toxicity (21 percent), and Follow (11 percent). “Mass Appeal” and “Reputation” scores were consistently in the top two spots in measures of importance across the eight tests. As explained by Grok, X uses “Tweepcred” to determine which accounts to recommend to others. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

MRC founder and president Brent Bozell appeared Thursday morning on Varney & Co. show on Fox Business. Host Stuart Varney played some funny clips of Democrats claiming Tim Walz wasn’t a leftist. Former Sen. Claire McCaskill claimed he was elected in a “very moderate” House district. Ex-Kamala spokesman Jamal Simmons said Walz was a “cuddly choice” to “make everyone feel safe.” But the funniest was former Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Morning Joe: "To characterize him as Left is so unreal….He’s right down the middle!” Varney and Bozell giggled at the Pelosi baloney, then Bozell ran through a reality check on policy: BOZELL: Let's go through some things and let your audience decide how moderate he is. On gender wars, Walz turned Minnesota into a “transgender sanctuary state,” which among other things says the state has a right to take away your children if you oppose your children’s, child mutilation of their bodies. On economic policy, he immediately supported a 70 percent [gas] tax increase in Minnesota. He supported every boondoggle Joe Biden wanted, from the Build [Back] Better bill that was $2.2 trillion to the American Rescue Plan, $1.9 trillion, to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was $800 billion. Immigration, he turned Minnesota into a “sanctuary state” on immigration as well. He wants free health care, free school benefits, everything free for illegals. Healthcare, school. Abortion, he signed into law in Minnesota making abortion legal for any reason at any time and on top of that, signed an infanticide bill into law that says a baby that’s born from a botched abortion has no legal rights. He also mentioned Walz's hot takes on climate change, Covid, and his disastrously slow decision to send the National Guard to quell the post-George Floyd rioting after four days.  Varney also asked about Vice President Kamala Harris refusing to take questions and President Biden being nearly absent from the scene.  You can get a more expansive view of the Left's election interference from the latest Brent Bozell Show. 

Following days of controversy, PolitiFact officially gave GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance a “mostly false” rating on Friday for claiming his Democratic counterpart, Tim Walz, abandoned his National Guard unit prior to its deployment to Iraq. However, PolitiFact omitted some key details from those who served with Walz that could’ve changed the truth-o-meter. In the “if your time is short” summary, Sara Swann writes, “Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz served in the Nebraska and Minnesota National Guards for 24 years. Walz has said he retired in May 2005 to run for Congress; he submitted retirement paperwork five to seven months beforehand.” She also insists, “After Walz filed candidacy paperwork in February 2005, his battalion received a March 2005 notification for a potential — not definite — deployment within two years, not immediately.” Finally, she maintains, “Walz’s battalion was not officially ordered to go to Iraq until July 2005, two months after Walz retired.” Swann does mention the fact that people who served with Walz have come out and criticized his decision. She cites Doug Julin, “who served as a more senior command sergeant major in Walz’s battalion, said Walz went over his head to get retirement approval before the unit’s deployment was official, because Julin would have ‘analyzed it and challenged him,’ the New York Post reported Aug. 8. Others who served in Walz’s battalion have said he 'ditched' them and his actions were 'dishonorable,' Fox News reported.” However, for some reason, that does not appear to have affected PolitiFact’s conclusion. Swann’s article was released Friday morning, but Thursday night Julin went on CNN and poured cold water on the idea Walz didn’t know for sure if his unit would be ordered to go to Iraq, “he told me [in March 2005], he says, I have not been nominated, I am going forward with the battalion. I said, ‘Good, let's go.’” Julin also wasn’t a fan of the separating a notice to deploy with formal orders, “People say, well, he never knew he was going forward. Yeah, he knew he was going forward. Had he gotten his orders yet? No. At that time, he had not.” As for PolitiFact, Swann conceded Vance had a point on Walz claiming to be command sergeant major, therefore saving him from a full “false” rating. However, Swann omitted the part where Vance criticized Walz for saying he carried weapons “in war” while pushing for gun control. Meanwhile, the Washington Post’s Pinocchio system is the closest analogue to PolitiFact’s truth-o-meter, and their fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, declined to rate such claims, “Whether he abandoned his troops is a matter of perspective, but it is noteworthy that his retirement request was not blocked.”

Vice President Kamala Harris finally answered some questions on Thursday. After Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour at a Mar-a-Lago press conference — which included answering more than a dozen questions from reporters — Harris fielded a handful of softball questions from the media on the tarmac at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. 'Peak journalism is that when you finally get a chance to ask the candidate a question you ask about when they will take more questions.' It was the first time Harris had answered questions since becoming the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee last month. Here were the questions and answers: Reaction to Trump's press conference: "I'm glad that he's finally agreed to debate on Sept. 10. I'm looking forward to it. I hope he shows up." More debates: "I am happy to have that conversation about an additional debate after Sept. 10." Why Trump "pulled out" of the debate: "I am beyond trying to speculate about how he thinks." Accusations of Tim Walz's "stolen valor": "Listen, I praise anyone who has presented themselves to serve our country. And I think that we all should." On dodging the media: "I've talked to my team. I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month." The entire interaction lasted approximately 70 seconds. By contrast, Trump spoke with media for approximately 70 minutes at Mar-a-Lago. Notice, however, the content of the questions. None of the reporters sought substantive answers to questions Americans care about, like how Harris plans to combat inflation or how she plans to end the border crisis. The reporters certainly did not inquire about Harris' foreign policy agenda.Both the content of the questions and Harris' final answer — that she may participate in a sit-down interview by the end of August — received criticism from forces that are friendly to Democrats and the media. Conservatives, of course, also widely panned the spectacle."Before the end of the month? It's August 8!" writer Chris Cillizza, formerly of CNN and the Washington Post, responded."Peak journalism is that when you finally get a chance to ask the candidate a question you ask about when they will take more questions," said Matthew Yglesias, co-founder of Vox.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Thursday that will require the state’s public hospitals to collect and report health care expenses for illegal immigrants. A press release from Abbott’s office stated that the executive action aims to track the costs of the Biden-Harris administration open-border crisis.The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will be required to “collect information on illegal immigrants who use Texas public hospitals for inpatient and emergency care and to report incurred healthcare cost.” HHSC will provide annual reporting to the governor and the Texas legislature, which will be used to request financial reimbursement from the federal government.To track such information, hospitals will ask patients about their immigration status and collect information regarding the costs associated with their care. Hospitals under HHSC will be required to submit quarterly reports to the commission. HHSC will begin collecting this information starting no later than November 1.“The surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border posed an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties and for all state agencies by this disaster,” the executive order read. “The surge of individuals crossing the southern border has continued, resulting in more than 11 million people—a number larger than the population of 40 different States—entering this country illegally in less than four years under the Biden-Harris Administration.”The executive order requests hospitals to inform patients that their responses to immigration status questions will not impact the care they receive.Abbott released a statement regarding the new executive order, saying, “Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies, Texas has had to foot the bill for medical costs for individuals illegally in the state.”“Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants,” Abbott continued. “That is why today I issued an Executive Order requiring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect and report healthcare costs for illegal immigrants in our state. Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies.”U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) responded in opposition to the governor’s order.“Here we go again,” Garcia stated. “Our MAGA Republican Governor just can’t stop social engineering. First, he wants doctors and nurses to police women’s choices for reproductive care, then he wants to make criminals out of parents who support their child in seeking gender-affirming care, and now he wants to make ICE officers out of doctors providing immigrants with medical care.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Russian chess champion has been accused of trying to poison her opponent during a recent tournament. The brazen move allegedly was caught on video. Amina Abakarova, 40, faces a possible lifetime ban and potential criminal proceedings, NBC News reported.'The actions she committed could have led to the saddest outcome.'The incident occurred last Friday inside the tournament room of the Dagestan Chess Championship in Makhachkala, the capital of Russia's Republic of Dagestan.Security video purportedly shows Abakarova entering the room with a bag about 20 minutes before the tournament was set to begin. The 34-second surveillance clip appears to show Abakarova spreading a substance over one of the chessboards. Sazhid Sazhidov — Dagestan’s sports minister — released a statement on the Telegram messaging app Wednesday alleging that Abakarova, who has won the tournament before, spread a substance that later turned out to contain mercury, NBC News reported.The Russian Chess Federation issued a statement Wednesday describing the situation as "an attempt to poison a participant in the championship of the Republic of Dagestan in Makhachkala."The target of the alleged attempted poisoning was Abakarova's rival – 30-year-old Umayganat Osmanova.About 30 minutes into a tournament match, Osmanova allegedly fell ill with nausea and dizziness. She reportedly required medical attention. "I still feel bad. In the first minutes, I felt a lack of air and a taste of iron in my mouth. I had to spend about five hours on this board. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t seen it earlier," Osmanova told Russia Today.Osmanova added to Russian newspaper Izvestia that she noticed "some tiny balls" rolling out from under her board. She initially had no idea what they were but soon realized they could have been mercury, after which she notified chess officials. Chess.com reported that Osmanova recovered from the alleged attempted poisoning and finished second in the tournament. Abakarova allegedly was expelled after the fourth round.Russian outlet RTVI reported that Abakarova allegedly said she wanted to "knock her opponent out of the tournament." However, a police report claimed that Abakarova meant to scare her opponent and not actually harm her. According to the New York Post, Abakarova later admitted to the poisoning and allegedly confessed to police that she had broken a thermometer and smeared mercury across the chessboard. Police have detained Abakarova, who now faces up to three years in jail, according to the Mirror. Andrey Filatov — president of the Russian Chess Federation — said the organization had temporarily suspended Abakarova from all competitions until a law enforcement investigation is completed. ABC News reported that Sazhidov stated, "I am perplexed by what happened, and the motives that guided such an experienced athlete as Amina Abakarova are also incomprehensible to me.""The actions she committed could have led to the saddest outcome. They threatened the lives of everyone who was in the chess house, including herself," Sazhidov added. "Now she will have to answer for what she did before the law."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A BBC announcer corrected her colleague for using the wrong pronouns for American shot putter Raven Saunders.Saunders has been in the spotlight during the Olympics for her unique attire and consistent gay activism since the 2021 Tokyo games where she won a silver medal.The track and field athlete consistently appears with multicolored hair, excessively long finger nails, and often wears a mask of some type while competing. 'Raven Saunders is actually nonbinary.'Her attire was typical during a recent Paris competition when the BBC's Steve Backley was commenting on her unorthodox appearance."The colorful character Raven Saunders is back," Backley said during the broadcast. "Good to see her back, sort of. Sort of see her, I mean," he added, in reference to her mask.Announcer Jazmin Sawyers, who is actually an injured long jumper from Great Britain's team, quickly jumped in to correct Backley's lack of obscure pronoun usage."Well, we can’t see them very well,” Sawyers replied, making sure to use the term "them.""Raven Saunders is actually nonbinary and wearing the mask there. We're quite used to seeing them with interesting attire. Should that be allowed? Why not," the 30-year-old concluded."Why not, indeed," Backley responded.While Saunders pushes political viewpoints through her athletics, she hasn't been too strict on pronoun usage despite allegedly identifying as "nonbinary."Just two days prior to the pronoun debacle, Saunders posted a video on her Instagram page where she is repeatedly referred to as "she."Saunders also posted an image in December 2023 along with a caption where she referred to herself as a woman multiple times and not a "nonbinary."When Saunders won a silver medal for shot put at the Tokyo games, she staged a protest during the medal ceremony. While on the podium, she raised her arms and crossed her wrists to form an X, which she claimed was a protest in support of "oppressed" people."Raven Saunders Protests on the Podium," a page called Women's Running said. "When asked what the ‘X’ meant, [Saunders] responded: 'It's the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.'"According to the Huffington Post, Saunders said at the time that she was intent on inspiring "many young girls, so many young boys, so many LGBTQ people, [and] so many people that have battled suicide."As for Saunders' bizarre attire, it is allegedly part of her "alter ego," according to an Associated Press writer."Before a shot put competition Raven Saunders transforms into their alter ego, The Hulk," writer Patrick Graham claimed. "That includes mask, sunglasses, gold teeth, hair dyed green and purple and long bedazzled nails."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!