For decades, he’s hunted tickets from Cal Ripken’s ‘Iron Man’ streak. Just 8 elude him
Lifelong Orioles fan Rick Taylor has spent 28 years collecting tickets from every game of Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,632-game streak. Now, he’s just eight tickets short of completing what memorabilia experts call one of the most extraordinary baseball ticket collections ever assembled. The 69-year-old has scoured eBay, attended card shows and enlisted fellow collectors to track down elusive tickets from games played more than 40 years ago. His quest comes as physical sports tickets are disappearing in favor of digital passes and QR codes, threatening a longtime collecting tradition.
Need a smile? This livestream features 6 puppies all day long
Every wiggle and wobble of six newborn puppies snuggling together in Finland is captured by cameras. Even though the puppies don’t do much yet, they’ve entranced millions of Finnish viewers and others around the world through “Pentulive,” a 24/7 slow TV livestream from Finland’s national public broadcaster, Yle. “Pentu” means puppy in Finnish. The puppies’ mother gave birth to four males and two females on Oct. 10. The puppies have brown and white fur, weighed roughly 1 kilogram Thursday and were just starting to open their eyes. A naming ceremony is set for Saturday. The slow TV show is in its sixth season.
Former NHL player and longtime Rangers fan favorite Ron Duguay dies at 69
NEW YORK (AP) — Ron Duguay, whose long, wavy hair made him stick out on the ice during an era when helmets were not mandatory in hockey and who played nearly 1,000 games in the NHL from the late 1970s through the ’80s, has died of cancer. He was 69. Duguay for several years has been dating Alaska governor and 2008 Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who announced his death after being by his side throughout the illness. Duguay played his first six seasons with the Rangers. He also played with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings.
Todd Benzinger, a member of the Cincinnati Reds' 1990 World Series championship team, dies at 63
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds say 1990 World Series champion Todd Benzinger died Wednesday. He was 63. Benzinger played nine seasons in the major leagues, including with the Reds from 1989-91 that included that title run. The team notes his regular participation at multiple functions and that he had remained active in youth baseball in the Ohio town where he went to high school. Benzinger also played for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
Twice a year, a golden sunbeam illuminates a 3,000-year-old Egyptian temple
ABU SIMBEL, Egypt (AP) — Tourists and locals gathered at a temple in southern Egypt on Thursday to witness a rare solar phenomenon. Twice a year, the sun illuminates the statues of Ramesses II and two gods inside the Great Temple of Ramses II. This event marks the pharaoh's ascension and birthday. The temple's alignment with the sun allows this to happen. Visitors, including Janice Souudi from Atlanta, said they were amazed by the temple's preservation and carvings. In the 1960s, archaeologists relocated the temple to protect it from rising waters, ensuring the alignment remained intact. Performers celebrated outside with music and dance.
Millions in cheese revenue lost as protest torpedoes Italy's buffalo mozzarella output
ROME (AP) — A truckers' protest in southern Italy has halted the production of buffalo mozzarella, causing an estimated 3 million-euro loss in just 24 hours. The milk can't reach dairies in the Naples region, and the finished cheese can't reach customers. The weeklong strike by truck drivers over high diesel costs, driven up by the Iran war, has also blocked deliveries of other goods and left gas pumps empty. The disruption is particularly damaging to buffalo mozzarella because its production depends on a tightly timed supply chain. On Thursday, the Italian government approved new measures for the transportation and agriculture sectors, bringing financial aid to face higher fuel costs to 540 million euros.
Retired NYPD detective arrested in road rage killing on George Washington Bridge
NEW YORK (AP) — A retired New York City police detective has been arrested in the road rage killing of a motorist on the George Washington Bridge. Sixty-two-year-old Victor Romero faces murder charges in the death of Koran Irvine. The 46-year-old was found wounded and unconscious in his vehicle Tuesday evening. Irvine was pronounced dead at a hospital. The incident caused significant traffic delays on the bridge that connects Manhattan and Fort Lee, New Jersey. Romero retired from the police department in 2001. Irvine worked for Con Edison, which called the shooting a "senseless act of violence."
Dusky shark that became a tourist draw while trapped in a South Korean canal finally swims free
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials have freed a large gray shark trapped for over a month in a canal in Busan. On Wednesday, they used a floating platform to guide the 3-meter-long dusky shark, nicknamed Bukangi, to the sea. The shark was first spotted in mid-September and became a tourist attraction, drawing over 1.7 million visitors. Previous attempts to free it failed. Experts were concerned about its health due to lack of feeding and falling water temperatures. The operation involved maneuvering a platform and using nets to prevent the shark from returning. It's unclear how far the shark swam out.
Kyle Francis Kennedy, the granddaughter of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, dies at 42
BOSTON (AP) — Kyle Francis Kennedy, the granddaughter of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and wife Ethel Kennedy, has died. She was 42. According to the town clerk in the town of Westwood, Massachusetts where she lived, Kennedy died on Sept. 21. An advocate for education reform and disability rights, Kennedy spent most of her life in Massachusetts. After college, Kennedy joined Teach for America where she worked as a teacher in New York City and soon after became an advocate for equitable elementary education and charter schooling, according to her obituary. In 2019, she ran the Boston Marathon. But a year later, she suffered a severe spinal cord injury that resulted in long-term paralysis.
Delivery Robots Accused Of Scanning Customers’ Faces, Sharing Biometric Data
Chicago's food delivery robots are facing legal challenges. Two customers have filed lawsuits against Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics, accusing them of collecting biometric data without consent. The lawsuits claim the robots scanned faces and hands using cameras and LiDAR technology. Both companies deny the allegations. They say the technology helps the robots navigate around the city. The lawsuits argue that the companies violated Illinois' Biometric Privacy Act, which requires written consent for data collection. The legal actions add to growing concerns about the robots, including safety and privacy issues. Chicago's delivery robot pilot program, launched in 2022, is set to expire in 2027 unless extended.
