'Dixie' map that divided US into North and South is going up for auction
It’s perhaps the most consequential map in American history, and it could be yours. The hand-drawn chart of the Mason-Dixon Line that eventually divided the free and slave states is up for auction. Originally intended to settle a border dispute between the colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania, Charles Mason's and Jeremiah Dixon's survey became synonymous with the fundamental divisions that exploded into civil war four decades later. Late publisher Malcolm Forbes outbid the Library of Congress for the map in 1982, paying $360,000. Lauren Brunk of Brunk Auctions estimates it could fetch up to $1 million at Thursday's sale.
Ahead of Rome tipoff, basketball powerhouse Villanova embraces 'Pope Leo effect'
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Villanova University is deepening its ties to the Vatican, thanks to its famous alumnus, Pope Leo. The pope graduated from Villanova in 1977 with a degree in mathematics. The pope is part of the Augustinian order that founded the university near Philadelphia. Villanova is now finding new ways to connect with his papacy. On Sunday, Villanova's basketball teams will play Notre Dame in Rome. The event follows a recent sustainability conference that Villanova held in Rome. Villanova has seen a 10% increase in applications since Pope Leo's election. Some school officials call it the “Pope Leo effect.”
Marigolds anchor Día de los Muertos altars, believed to guide spirits home
Throughout history, flowers have carried cultural significance around the world, but few flowers hold as powerful a place in remembrance as the marigold, especially on Nov. 1 and 2, when Latino communities celebrate Día de los Muertos. The flowers are used to decorate altars and shrines that hold candles, photographs, favorite foods and the personal belongings of departed loved ones. Their strong scent and bright orange or yellow color are believed to guide the spirits back to their families. Marigolds are easy-care annual plants typically grown from summer through autumn, which makes them well-suited for the weeks leading up to the holiday.
A dinosaur fossil that looks like a mini T. rex just sold for a giant $47 million
NEW YORK (AP) — A dinosaur that looks like a miniature T. rex is now one of the world's most expensive fossils. The rare skeleton of a Nanotyrannus sold for $47.3 million to a mystery buyer at auction in New York City. Sotheby’s auction house had expected it to fetch anywhere from $6 to $9 million. The price tag for “Jodi,” as the skeleton is nicknamed, makes it the second-priciest set of dinosaur bones ever sold. This summer, a T. rex fossil known as “Gus” sold for a record $50.1 million. Some scientists have opposed such private sales, saying they should go to museums or other institutions for study and public display.
This freight train claims to be the longest ever. Here's how long
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa claims it has sent the longest freight train in the world on a test run. The train was 7.6 kilometers or 4.7 miles long and consisted of 696 freight wagons. That's according to the state-run transportation and logistics company Transnet that operated it. The train's freight wagons were empty for the two-day journey from a port to an iron ore mine in the interior of the country. Transnet says that it claimed the record from a 4.5-mile-long or 7.24-kilometer-long freight train that undertook a journey in Australia in 2001.
In Suriname's rainforest, Saamaka woodcarvers face the pull of gold mining and logging
PIKI SEEI, Suriname (AP) — In Suriname, the Saamaka people are striving to preserve their traditional woodcarving art, known as tembe. This craft, passed down through generations, is integral to their cultural identity. However, expanding gold mining and logging are drawing men away from villages and traditional crafts. Carvers say that woodcarving is more than art; it holds cultural knowledge and history. Despite economic pressures, some carvers are teaching the next generation, hoping to keep the tradition alive. They believe preserving this craft is crucial for maintaining their cultural heritage and connection to the forest.
How daylight saving time changes affect you and what you can do about it
It's almost time for most Americans to set their clocks back an hour. Daylight saving time ends in the U.S. at 2 a.m. local time next Sunday. Standard time will last until March 14, when we will again “spring forward” with the return of daylight saving time. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do — mostly in North America and Europe — the date that clocks are changed varies. In the U.S., Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t change and stay on standard time.
Tours offer Halloween enthusiasts visits to former psychiatric hospital and funeral home
WESTLAND, Mich. (AP) — Halloween enthusiasts are seeking "real" scares at a former psychiatric hospital and funeral home. Eloise Asylum outside Detroit and Mortuary Manor in Toledo, Ohio, offer ghost-hunting tours. Visitors can explore these spooky sites with rented equipment like electromagnetic field detectors. Michighost Paranormal founder Justin Cox says trauma leaves energy, and that makes Eloise "super haunted." Guests have reported eerie experiences such as being touched or hearing whistles. The once-massive health facility also offers overnight stays. Mortuary Manor is a former funeral home that now hosts paranormal investigations and even weddings. These attractions aim to enhance the Halloween experience.
Baby orangutans in India expose illegal wildlife trade as experts question a billionaire’s zoo
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The discovery of five baby orangutans abandoned on a plantation in eastern India is highlighting the country’s growing role as a destination for trafficked apes. Experts say wealthy collectors, expanding air links with Southeast Asia and loopholes in wildlife laws are to blame. India also legally imported 41 orangutans between 2021 and 2024 and experts have raised questions about their origins. At the same time, efforts to return rescued orangutans to Indonesia have stalled. Scrutiny over ownership of apes intensified after one orangutan was transferred to a private wildlife facility run by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s family.
Australian judge rejects prisoner’s human rights challenge to Vegemite ban
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A prisoner has lost his challenge to an Australian state’s ban on inmates eating Vegemite after he argued in court that withholding the polarizing yeast-based spread breached his human right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.” A Supreme Court of Victoria state judge ruled on Monday that the ban is justified in meeting prison authorities’ goals of removing illicit drugs and alcohol from the prison system. Andre McKechnie, 55, is serving a life sentence for murder. He took his battle for the salty, sticky, black-brown byproduct of brewing beer to the court last year. He argued being refused Vegemite breached the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act.
