Four astronauts return to Earth after eight months in space
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts are back on Earth after an eight-month stay at the International Space Station. Their SpaceX capsule splashed into the Pacific on Thursday. The U.S., French and Russian astronauts said before leaving the orbiting lab on Wednesday that they'll miss the extraordinary views of Earth from space. But they can't wait to feel the breeze on their faces and hit the shower. They left the planet in February to replace a station crew that returned home early in a medical evacuation. The space station has welcomed 298 visitors from 26 countries since 2000.
The Waffle House Index helps Southerners — and FEMA — gauge a storm's severity
For some residents of storm-prone Southeastern states, the best indicator of a hurricane’s severity can be found at the local Waffle House. If the Georgia-based restaurant chain stays open in town, neighbors are reassured that the coming storm is unlikely to cause devastation. A closed location of the dependable diner chain has come to indicate impending disaster. What might sound like silly logic has become one of the most reliable ways for Southerners and even federal officials to gauge a storm’s severity and identify communities most in need of immediate aid. The Waffle House Index was created by a emergency management official and is still used today.
US newlyweds tour Croatia after fans photobomb their wedding shoot
SPLIT, Croatia (AP) — It began with a hijacked wedding photo shoot and turned into a very unexpected but exciting trip across the world. Ashton and Zachary Smith from Philadelphia came to Croatia this week as national guests after the couple accidentally celebrated their wedding in June with a crowd of joyful Croatian soccer fans during the FIFA World Cup in the United States. The Smiths had just gotten married and came out of Philadelphia City Hall for photos when hundreds of Croats in red-and-white chequered jerseys joined in. Photos and videos of the couple kissing among the fans became popular on social networks and paved the way for a new friendship.
With violins, trumpets and the guitarrón, Las Vegas is training the mariachi educators of tomorrow
LAS VEGAS (AP) — In Las Vegas, where Latinos top a third of the population, mariachi music is a much loved and popular staple. The Nevada city is home to one of the largest mariachi programs in the U.S. through the Clark County School District. Nearly 6,000 middle and high school students take part in learning the popular Mexican folk music. But the school district has increasingly had a tough time finding educators to teach the young. To meet demand, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is offering one of the first mariachi minors in the country. Axel Rodríguez Olivas is set to become the program's first graduate, ready to teach mariachi to new generations of students.
Australian shark attack survivor says predator was 'winking back' at him as he fought it off
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Shark attack survivor Mel Ismail jabbed at the eye of the predator that severed his leg in an effort to fight it off before struggling back to shore, the surfer and professional firefighter said in an interview that revealed new details of his near-death encounter. It was the first time he has spoken publicly since his leg was severed while surfing on the Australian west coast in September. The professional firefighter was surfing at Glenfield Beach near Geraldton when he was attacked on Sept. 14. He lost his right leg below the knee.
Orphaned kittens meet sharks and stingrays on an aquarium field trip at the Mall of America
Rescue kittens with names like Turkey Leg and Mouth Trap got to explore the aquarium at the Mall of America in Minnesota, watching in awe as fish soared by just out of reach. For six years, these field trips have been organized by the Bitty Kitty Brigade, which finds foster homes for orphaned neonatal kittens. This year, two dozen kittens played — and napped — alongside sharks, stingrays and sea turtles. The aquarium calls it a fun and engaging experience for the young cats. An event director with the rescue organization says the excursions also help the young cats socialize, making adoption easier. The group is currently overseeing around 1,000 kittens this year.
Actor, 'restaurant kid' Ming-Na Wen reflects on the Asian American experience in 70 recipes
Ming-Na Wen's acting breakthrough was in the 1993 film adaptation of Amy Tan’s novel “The Joy Luck Club.” Now, she's breaking into the cookbook market. The book, “Have You Eaten Yet? Family Recipes From a Restaurant Daughter,” is sprinkled with Chinese and Western recipes and first-person anecdotes. The recipes parallel Wen's evolution from immigrant kid helping out at her parents’ restaurant to working actor cooking for her own children. For generations of Asian Americans, Wen became an icon after her appearance in “The Joy Luck Club.” The first big studio feature with an all-Asian cast was applauded for depicting Chinese characters and Chinese food in a non-demeaning way.
Ming-Na Wen's recipe for 'Popo's Wontons' is as good as gold in her family
In her new cookbook, “Have You Eaten Yet?,” actor and self-described restaurant kid Ming-Na Wen says wontons hold a special place in her heart. They bring back memories of making them with her mother. She now makes them with her children. Wen's recipe for “Popo's Wontons” includes ginger, shrimp, greens and ground meat, among other ingredients. The mixture is folded into thin wonton wrappers. Wen says wontons are a symbol for gold, and she tries to shape each one like a Chinese gold ingot. The wontons can be boiled, or frozen for use later.
Rain gardens help handle today's downpours. And they can be beautiful too
Scientists say we should expect more extreme weather events, which can often mean heavy rain and floods. One way to protect your garden and yard is to create a rain garden. Rain gardens are depressed beds planted with thirsty native perennials and shrubs. Situate them in a spot where water from downspouts, driveways, compacted soil and other sources of runoff flow downward toward it. That waters the plants and also filters pollutants as the soil absorbs the runoff. It keeps those pollutants and excess water out of storm drains, watersheds and wetlands. And perhaps out of your basement, too.
Kenyan prisoners play chess for fun behind bars and to help with rehabilitation
MURANG'A, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s Department for Correctional Services has introduced chess across the country’s prisons since 2024, in one of the most prominent institutional carceral chess programs in Africa. Northeast of Nairobi, Maranjau Prison is a model for how the ancient game can be used for rehabilitation and to prepare inmates for reintegrating into society. At Maranjau and other prisons, inmates learn to think strategically, not rush decisions, and take responsibility for their actions, with the game also nurturing impulse-control and problem-solving. While not a panacea, chess has emerged as an example of how novel methods can improve prisoner rehabilitation.
