Longest line at Philly airport? Cheesesteaks, not security
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Travelers passing through Philadelphia International Airport may have expected long security lines, but the longest line was made of cheesesteaks. The airport set a Guinness World Record with 1,291 sandwiches lined up in the walkway between Terminals B and C to mark National Cheesesteak Day. This record far surpasses the previous benchmark of 500. The sandwiches were pieced together assembly-line style before they were distributed to travelers, airport workers and Transportation Security Administration staff. Guinness adjudicator Michael Empric says all food must be consumed or donated. Organizers say the event celebrated the cheesesteak’s long-standing place in Philadelphia’s culinary identity.
Beneath Lake Erie, a vast salt mine works overtime to meet winter road demands
CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — The Whiskey Island salt mine in Cleveland is critically important to providing enough road salt to keep streets safe during the harsh winters of the Northeast and Great Lakes states. And it has been a very busy season, with lower temperatures and more snow and ice in many communities served by the salt. The mine is one of the largest salt mines in the world, producing 3 million to 4 million tons per year. But demand can be greater than even that during especially tough winters like the one that mercifully came to a close this month.
People 'bathe' in nature to get respite from chaotic news cycle
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — It might seem impossible to get away from the constant barrage of news these days. But at an urban North Carolina arboretum, people are “bathing” in nature to wash away the stress. The Sunday morning session at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh was led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune with nature. Based on the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku, Ramsey noted that the activity has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
A real possum appears among plush toy animals in Australian airport gift shop
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — On shelves crammed with cuddly toy native animals in an Australian airport gift shop, one fluffy possum stood out because its brown eyes were moving. A browsing passenger first spotted an actual living Australian brushtail possum peering out from among the kangaroos on the display shelf at the terminal shop at Hobart Airport in Tasmania state on Wednesday. Airport retail manager Liam Bloomfield said on Thursday how the possum got into the store and how long it spent there are unknown. Airport staff were able to remove the possum from the airport unharmed.
This new bird ER offers hope for injured wildlife
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Warsaw Zoo has created a new emergency drop-off system that gets injured birds treated fast. When a Warsaw resident brings in a wounded bird and places it in a metal box at the zoo entrance, nearby vets get a signal. Staff rush the bird into the hospital, make a diagnosis and start treatment. The zoo’s bird hospital has operated since 1998 and treats about 9,000 birds a year. The zoo says many injuries come from human-made hazards and climate change.
'This is not a jersey': New Belgium World Cup away shirt pays tribute to surrealist René Magritte
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium has unveiled a new men’s away soccer jersey that celebrates René Magritte and the country’s surrealist roots. The Belgian federation has revealed a light blue shirt with pink patterns and black details. It includes soccer-style designs like pitch lines and a ball. The collar carries a Magritte-style twist. It reads, “This is not a jersey.” That nods to his famous painting about images and reality. Belgium often uses tournament kits to highlight national culture. At the 2024 European Championship, the team honored Tintin’s creator, Hergé. Belgium debuts the new shirt on March 28 against the United States in Atlanta.
Ronnie O'Sullivan makes snooker history with a highest-ever break of 153
Snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan has made the highest-ever break in the professional game. The 50-year-old, seven-time world champion cleared the table for a break of 153 in the first frame of his 5-0 win over Ryan Day at the World Open in China. The previous biggest break in competition was 148. That was made by Jamie Burnett in qualifying for the UK Championship in 2004. The classic “maximum” break in snooker is 147 through 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colors. But a player can score more if he starts it with a free ball, which is what happened with O'Sullivan. O’Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest-ever snooker player.
Check out soccer star Erling Haaland's latest business venture, in chess
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland wants to bring new audiences to chess after becoming a strategic investor in a world championship tour scheduled to launch next year. He has helped to establish a company called Chess Mates and that will be a “significant owner” of Norway Chess, the owner of the Total Chess World Championship Tour. Haaland says “chess is an incredible game. It sharpens the mind, and there are clear similarities to football." He is starting to branch out with his business interests, launching his own YouTube channel last year that has more than 1.4 million subscribers.
Meteorite hunters scour Ohio for fragments of 7-ton space rock that crashed into Earth
MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — Meteorite hunters are combing Ohio for fragments of a space rock that streaked across the sky earlier this week. The meteoroid broke apart over Valley City on Tuesday, producing a sonic boom. The blast rattled buildings and alarmed residents who worried it could be an explosion. In Medina, one woman is hoping to authenticate a small, black stone she found near her garage the next day. A meteorite dealer and collector drove from his home in Connecticut to Ohio, where he found two fragments that might have come from the space rock.
Seven-ton meteor that fell from the Cleveland sky could be seen several states away
CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A 7-ton meteor that sped across the Cleveland sky at 45,000 miles per hour on Tuesday broke apart in a thunderous boom that startled residents who feared an explosion. People several states away reported seeing the bright fireball even though it was 9 a.m. The American Meteor Society said it received reports from Wisconsin to Maryland. NASA later confirmed that it was a meteor nearly 6 feet in diameter. Astronomer Carl Hergenrother says meteors typically fall about once a day in the U.S. The meteor was first seen about 50 miles above Lake Erie.
