What are ya — yellow? The rubber duck carries filaments of American history in its 'feathers'
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not just a squishy noisemaker. The rubber duck is an American invention with a deep and rich past. The cute, often yellow toys have seen a resurgence in recent years, especially in tourist shops from the U.S. Open to Buckingham Palace, and are beloved across the world. The duck’s origin story was forged in fire, according to popular lore. Charles Goodyear, inventor of vulcanized rubber, is said to have shaped leftover rubber into a duck as a chew toy for dogs and a teething aid for babies.
Madrid festival reroutes thousands of sheep to avoid housing protest camp
MADRID (AP) — Thousands of sheep and goats fill the streets of Madrid during an annual festival celebrating the ancient practice of moving livestock to new grazing grounds. The Transhumance Festival took a detour from its usual route to avoid a protest camp in the city’s central square. Housing activists have been protesting since last month after an elderly woman was evicted from her home. The festival highlights the environmental benefits of traditional grazing, which helps reduce wildfire spread. Madrid has hosted the event since 1994, and similar festivals occur in Italy, France, and California.
A Bosnian man rescued an abandoned bear cub. Now they're inseparable
MOUNT OZREN, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Masa the bear and Petar Tubic have formed an unlikely friendship on Bosnia's Mount Ozren. Tubic found Masa abandoned as a cub in 2019 and has cared for her ever since. Masa, now weighing about 150 kilograms, still tries to sit on Tubic’s lap. Tubic has also adopted another bear, Ljubica, and his home has become a local tourist attraction. Visitors come to see the bears and other rescued animals. Tubic, an electrician, lives with his family and enjoys outdoor activities. He worries that releasing the bears into the wild could put them in danger.
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.
British Embassy quashes Winnie-the-Pooh return rumors, keeping the famed bear in New York
It turns out Winnie-the-Pooh and his fluffy friends aren’t being bear-napped from their longtime home at the New York Public Library. The British Embassy Washington dispelled rumors Thursday about a campaign to return the collection of stuffed animals including the “willy nilly silly old bear" to the United Kingdom after nearly four decades at the library. Rumors began swirling after The Washington Post reported last week about plans to bring the bear back home. The beloved children’s character at the center of A.A. Milne’s books turns 100 this year, prompting a renewed push for its repatriation.
New study traces van Gogh's famed 'Starry Night' to an actual night sky from 1889
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have traced Vincent van Gogh's “The Starry Night” to a celestial scene that suggests a new date for one of the world's most famous paintings. Their findings indicate that rather than being a product of van Gogh’s imagination, “The Starry Night” may have been inspired by what he saw as he gazed up from his French asylum 137 years ago. A South Korean team reported Thursday that they have matched his masterpiece to a predawn sky from around July 22, 1889. That’s a month later than the long-accepted time frame for the painting. Results were published in Scientific Reports.
Stick it to them: Before social media, bumper stickers were the Twitter of the roads
Before we had social media, Americans used bumper stickers to share their strongest and strangest views with people who didn’t necessarily care. The medium back then was cars. Slap a belief on the rear end and go. If people agreed, they honked. If they disagreed, they honked. Drivers figured it out, usually without crashing. The original Twitter with its character limits was nothing. With bumper stickers, a sentiment had to be packed into a dozen words or less or it was just a blur.
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.
Children's singer Raffi on his 50-year career, screen time and Ms. Rachel
The beloved children's musician Raffi continues to charm audiences with his timeless songs. Fifty years after his debut children's album, his music remains a staple for young children. Raffi's latest album, “Love is Everywhere,” comes out Friday. It features songs celebrating everything from individuality to the importance of voting. He believes that while technology changes, the essence of childhood remains the same. In an interview with The Associated Press, Raffi emphasized the importance of protecting children's development from excessive technology. He also discussed his commitment to not exploiting children through advertising and how it caused him to turn down a movie offer for “Baby Beluga.”
