Move over bears. Fat Marmot Week puts a spotlight on the alpine rodents
GOTHIC, Colo. (AP) — Fat Marmot Week is coming soon. Last winter was tough for the groundhog-like rodents living in the Colorado mountains. Researchers say there wasn't enough snow to keep marmots' burrows warm while they hibernated, causing many of the animals to freeze to death. The marmots that survived are doing well. They've fattened up, gaining the critical weight they need to make it through next winter. To drum up interest in their work, marmot researchers are launching an online contest for the public to vote for their favorite critter — Fat Marmot Week. It begins Monday.
Archaeologists unveil skeletal remains believed to be ritual offering in Peru
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Archaeologists in Peru have unveiled skeletal remains near Huaca Pucllana, an ancient pyramid in Lima. They believe the remains are of a man sacrificed in a ritual linked to a ceremonial pool. Gladys Paz, who led the excavation, says the bones will help researchers understand the rituals of the Lima culture. The body was found inside a canal, positioned with the skull facing the pyramid and the Pacific Ocean. The Lima culture thrived between the first and seventh centuries, long before the Inca Empire. Huaca Pucllana was a key ceremonial center and is now a tourist site.
Airplane pilot killed in collision with Pennsylvania police helicopter near runway
Authorities say an airplane pilot has died after a violent collision with a Pennsylvania state police helicopter near a runway at a small airport. Officials say both state troopers aboard the helicopter survived the crash Wednesday. The state’s acting police commissioner says the plane was coming down on the runway and veered into the helicopter that was close to the ground. The FAA and NTSB called it a midair collision but state police didn’t clarify if the plane was off the ground. Photos on social media showed a helicopter on its side near aircraft debris and a line of emergency vehicles near Carlisle.
What beats seeing eclipses from space? Try the northern and southern lights
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Eclipses may be wondrous, but nothing beats seeing the northern and southern lights from space. That's the word from a pair of NASA astronauts living aboard the International Space Station for the past six months. Astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway told The Associated Press from orbit on Wednesday that the space station's position prevented them from seeing totality during last week's solar eclipse, but they still enjoyed a partial eclipse. They'll try to catch next week's lunar eclipse, too. Meir says the best cosmic shows are auroras. The two will return to Earth once their replacements arrive next month.
Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold
The first New World screwworm outbreak in Texas in 60 years is hindering efforts to move rescued dogs and cats out of crowded animal shelters to states where they would be adopted. U.S. officials have emphasized the parasite’s threat to the nation’s $113 billion cattle industry, but the screwworm fly can lay eggs that hatch into flesh-eating larvae in the wounds or mucous of any mammal. Several dogs have had infestations in southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico. All but a handful of states have placed new restrictions on importing animals. That's complicating the annual flow of dogs and cats from Texas to other states.
Florida's Jellyfish Museum is dedicated solely to the mesmerizing floating predators
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Floating tentacled predators pulse and swirl in hypnotic patterns in the dark museum space, lit primarily by images projected on walls and the light from the saltwater tanks. The private Jellyfish Museum is located in Pompano Beach, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale. Its owners believe it is the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to the translucent invertebrates, and one of the few such spaces in the world. The nearly 10,000-square-foot Jellyfish Museum opened this past spring. It houses roughly 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida waters and other parts of the world. Different species can be rotated through the museum’s 21 tanks. Some current occupants include Japanese sea nettles, moon jellyfish, spotted jellies and upside-down jellyfish.
ESPN co-founder Bill Rasmussen dies at 93 from the effects of Parkinson’s disease
LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. (AP) — Bill Rasmussen, who co-founded cable TV sports giant ESPN, has died at the age of 93. ESPN historian Mike Soltys says Rasmussen died Tuesday at his Florida home from the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Rasmussen and his son Scott came up with the idea of a network carrying sports around the clock, and it would revolutionize Americans’ TV-watching habits. ESPN debuted in 1979. But the Rasmussens didn’t stick around long. They were forced out after only a year by ESPN majority owner Getty Oil. Bill Rasmussen and ESPN were estranged until 1999, when company executives invited him to the 20th anniversary celebration. Rasmussen was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2025.
OpenAI introduces ChatGPT for Teens, promising a more age-appropriate chatbot
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI is launching a version of ChatGPT designed for teenagers. As the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence, teens are already using it for schoolwork, questions about daily life and even companionship. The San Francisco-based company says ChatGPT for Teens is tailored for children ages 13 to 17, with stronger protections including content restrictions around things like suicide, self-harm and romantic or sexual chats. It also provides homework and study support designed to help students learn rather than spit out answers and school essays. The idea is to guide teens toward healthy AI use in an age-appropriate environment, the company said.
British leader reportedly exchanged messages with impostor of top White House official
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reportedly exchanged messages with an impostor posing as U.S. President Donald Trump's chief of staff. Politico on Monday revealed Burnham believed he was communicating with Susie Wiles before becoming suspicious and cutting off contact. A spokesperson for Burnham declined to comment, citing national security policy. The White House said the incident had nothing to do with Wiles’ devices being hacked. Last year, the U.S. government investigated similar incidents involving impostors. The State Department warned diplomats about attempts to impersonate officials using AI. The FBI has warned of “malicious actors” misusing AI to impersonate senior U.S. government officials.
Corgis run, bark and sniff their way to glory at a growing international race
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — It’s not all about short-legged speed when 150 corgis gather for an international race celebrating the little dogs. There’s a costume parade, the “smartest nose,” and — of course — the loudest bark. The fifth Corgi Race Vilnius drew dogs and their owners to the Lithuanian capital’s Vingis park on Saturday for what organizers said was the biggest edition yet. There were competitors from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, the United States and Britain — the country most closely associated with the breed, famously a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
