Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari is having a cultural impact far beyond Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton's impact stretches far beyond Formula 1 and his quest to win a record-breaking eighth world title with his new team. The partnership of F1's cultural icon -- and its only Black driver -- with its biggest brand reaches people who don't consider themselves F1 fans. Hamilton's move is already a marketing triumph in some respects. His first race for Ferrari is set for next week in Australia. That follows 13 months of hype since he announced his decision to join the team from Mercedes before 2024 even began.
Washington, DC, to remove 'Black Lives Matter' painting from street near White House, mayor says
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's capital city will remove the large painting of the words "Black Lives Matter" on a street one block from the White House. The move comes as Washington's Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser struggles to fend off threats of encroachment from President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. Bowser said Tuesday the city can't afford to be distracted by congressional interference. She said the top concern should be the impacts of federal job cuts. The move is a change in tone for Bowser, who clashed with Trump in his first term. This time around, she has sought to avoid conflict. Trump has nonetheless said he wants a federal takeover of Washington, which would require a congressional vote.
Gene Hackman's dog was misidentified as other mysteries swirl around actor's death
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- One discrepancy in the death of actor Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their three beloved dogs has been resolved after authorities mistakenly identified the deceased dog as a German shepherd. A dog care facility owner says Tuesday that a German shepherd named Bear survived, along with a second dog named Nikita. At the same time, he says the couple's kelpie mix Zinna died. Authorities have been searching for answers after the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa since their partially mummified bodies were discovered on Feb. 26 at their Santa Fe home.
One moment, calm waters. The next, a 900-pound dolphin landed on their boat
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A dolphin weighing more than 900 pounds appeared to fall out of the sky before landing in a small fishing boat off the coast of New Zealand, shocking the three men on board. The 11-foot bottlenose dolphin leaped into the boat at a fishing spot in the country's far north on Friday. Dean Harrison, the vessel's owner, and his companions were unable to return the dolphin to the sea and instead kept it wet with a hose while they drove it to shore. There, conservation workers helped to put the dolphin safely back in the ocean.
World's oldest llama enjoys comforting chronically ill children in North Carolina
A bucktoothed llama that spends his days comforting chronically ill children at a North Carolina camp founded by NASCAR royalty has been crowned the world's oldest llama in captivity. The Guinness World Records announced last week that at 27 years and 251 days, the selfie- and snuggle-loving llama called Whitetop has dethroned Dalai Llama. Whitetop was donated to the Victory Junction camp in 2006, just two years after race car driver Kyle Petty and his family founded the camp in honor of Petty's son, who was killed in a racing crash. Whitetop has become known for his relaxed, sweet and empathetic personality.
Two Oscar-winning films shed light on the thousands of disappeared people in Latin America
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Two visions of the trauma of disappeared people in Latin America had a central role at Sunday's Academy Awards. The Brazilian film "I'm Still Here," which tells the drama of the family of a leftist former congressman who disappeared in 1971 at the height of the military dictatorship, won best international film Sunday. And the night's leading nominee was the musical "Emilia Pérez," about a fictional Mexican drug lord who leaves a life of crime to become a transgender woman and searcher for the disappeared in Mexico. Activists say the films shined a powerful light on the disappearance of tens of thousands of people throughout the region.
Who's St. Francis, whose love for the poor, creation, and peace inspires Pope Francis?
ASSISI, Italy (AP) -- St. Francis is the medieval Catholic saint whose spirituality focused on loving the poor, creation, and peace. He's been a key inspiration for the pope -- who chose Francis as his papal name. As Francis remains hospitalized, pilgrims flock to seek Franciscan spirituality in the central Italian hilltop town of Assisi. It's here that the saint was born more than 800 years ago, and his tomb is venerated in a magnificent basilica.
ESPN announces 'Around the Horn' will end nearly 23-year run on May 23
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -- ESPN's "Around the Horn" will air its final episode on Friday, May 23, ending a nearly 23-year run. The weekday sports discussion and debate show has been a mainstay at 5 p.m. EST since its debut episode on Nov. 4, 2002. Tony Reali has been the show's main host since 2004. He replaced Max Kellerman, who was the host for the first two years. The show features four panelists -- mostly sports columnists -- who tried to earn points and avoid being muted by Reali as they gave their opinions on the biggest sports stories of the day.
Cybercrime crew stole then resold hundreds of tickets to Swift concerts, prosecutors say
NEW YORK (AP) -- A cybercrime crew stole then resold more than 900 digital tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and other pricey events. New York prosecutors say the international scam involved people working in Jamaica for a firm contracted by the online ticket marketplace StubHub. The contractors stole the URLs of purchased tickets and emailed them to others in New York, who then downloaded and resold them on StubHub at exorbitant prices. The majority of the stolen tickets were for Swift's Eras Tour, but the thieves also boosted ones for Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
Minnesota considers blocking 'nudify' apps that use AI to make explicit images without consent
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota is considering a new strategy for cracking down on deepfake pornography. A bill making its way through the Legislature targets "nudification" websites and apps. They let anyone upload a photo of someone and, through artificial intelligence, generate a sexually explicit image or video. States and Congress are consider varying strategies for regulating AI. Most already have approved some kind of bans on dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes or revenge porn. The author of the Minnesota legislation says the aim is to try to prevent the material from being created in the first place -- before it spreads online.