Bodega cats make New Yorkers' hearts purr, even if they violate state regulations
NEW YORK (AP) — Bodega cats in New York City are widely loved feline workers in the Big Apple's convenience stores. Most store owners keep them for companionship, and as little salesmen that bring customers in and build rapport. Some say they keep the mice and rats at bay. But the cats lounging on convenience store shelves and basking in the warmth of sun-soaked storefronts don't always get the respect of city and state health officials. Under state law, shop owners can be fined for having cats in any building where food is sold. Despite the legal hurdles, a petition movement driven by social media influencers is calling for social support like vet care to make sure bodega cats and bodega owners can thrive.
Nintendo Switch 2 launches in June with new Mario Kart World game
NEW YORK (AP) — Nintendo has announced a June 5 launch date and $449.99 price tag for its latest gaming console, the Switch 2, which will introduce interactive chat and screenshare functions to connect gamers. In its 60-minute Nintendo Direct presentation on Wednesday, the company revealed a more vibrant display on the Switch 2, a larger screen and several games that will launch with the console.
NASA's Webb telescope captures photos of the asteroid that won't hit Earth in 2032
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's Webb telescope has captured pictures of the asteroid that caused a stir earlier this year when it topped Earth's hit list. Discovered late last year, the asteroid 2024 YR4 was predicted at one point to have a 3% chance of smacking Earth in 2032. Additional observations prompted scientists to reduce the threat to virtually zero. But there's a slight chance it could hit the moon. NASA and the European Space Agency said Wednesday that Webb has confirmed the asteroid is 200 feet across, or about the height of a 15-story building. It swings our way every four years.
Bye-bye, Helene, Milton and Beryl. Names from those nasty hurricanes are now retired
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hurricanes Helene, Milton and Beryl were so nasty last year that their names are being retired. The World Meteorological Organization on Wednesday officially replaced the names of the 2024 storms that killed more than 300 people and caused more than $119 billion in damage. Brianna, Holly and Miguel take their place in the rotating six-year list of names for Atlantic storms set in advance by a committee of international meteorologists. Retiring the names of killer storms is a regular practice, and the list is approaching 100.
A mass grave for fighters in a Roman Empire-era battle is revealed in Vienna
VIENNA (AP) — Construction crews in Vienna last year made an unprecedented discovery. They found intertwined skeletal remains in a mass grave dating to the 1st-century Roman Empire. Now experts at the Vienna Museum on Wednesday have given a first public presentation of their findings. Archaeologists say the discovery is unparalleled in Central Europe. The bodies of 129 people have been confirmed at the site. "It is truly a battlefield,” one archaeologist says. Every skeleton examined showed signs of injury. The investigation continues.
At 89, Fred Costello plays the organ on opening day in Rochester just like he has since 1977
Fred Costello could swing a bat about as well as he could perform a melody as a kid growing up in Syracuse, New York. He wanted to play at ballparks, and figured the best way to reach that dream was through his arm and a sweet swing. His baseball career ended after a few years in semi-pro ball but that goal of getting to play in a ballpark lived on — only as the person widely believed to now serve as the longest-reigning sports organist in history, playing since 1977 for a minor league baseball team in Rochester. Costello turned 89 on Saturday and plans to keep going.
Josh Brolin, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Mann pay tribute to Val Kilmer after his death
Actor Josh Brolin and director Michael Mann are among those honoring actor Val Kilmer after his death on Tuesday at age 65. Kilmer's friend Brolin says on Instagram that the actor was “a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker.” ”Heat" director Mann says in a statement that he marveled at Kilmer's brilliant range and power as an actor. Author Don Winslow says on X that Kilmer was “a brilliant actor and a good man.” And actor Josh Gad thanked Kilmer for defining so many of the movies of his childhood.
With tears and tail wags, San Quentin inmates reunite with puppies they raised into service dogs
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) — There were big smiles, hugs, tears and lots of tail wagging inside San Quentin’s prison recently. All the emotions came together when two black Labradors reunited with the incarcerated men who raised them as puppies and helped them prepare to become service dogs. The reunion brought together two inmates with the 2-year-old dogs they helped train as puppies. They also met the dogs' disabled handlers. The encounter last week in San Quentin’s main courtyard brought Chase Benoit and Jared Hansen full circle after they helped launch the prison’s puppy training program in April 2023.
Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman joins long list of sports figures whose homes have been burglarized
MAPLE VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Former NFL player Richard Sherman is the latest sports figure whose home has been burglarized. The Super Bowl champion posted pictures and a video on social media asking if anyone recognized three armed intruders that broke into his house last weekend. Sherman was a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl defensive back from 2011 to 2021 with Seattle, San Francisco and Tampa Bay. He helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2014. The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes following a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent players.
Fire kills a New York cat sanctuary founder and more than 100 rescued felines
NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say a fire burned down a Long Island cat shelter, killing its founder, who lived there, and more than 100 of the felines he rescued. The cause of Monday's fire at the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford is under investigation. The sanctuary's founder, 65-year-old Christopher Arsenault, was found inside the burned structure. The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says an estimated 150 cats are believed to have survived, as the shelter also had outdoor buildings. The SPCA and other animal rescue groups are working to arrange care for them.
