March Madness: An eighth grader from Pittsburgh is all alone with a perfect women's NCAA bracket
The only person left out of millions who entered men's and women's NCAA tournament brackets in ESPN's competition is an eighth-grader from suburban Pittsburgh. His name is Otto Schellhammer, and you can bet the 14-year-old is enjoying his one shining moment. He is 48-0 through the first weekend of the women's tournament, and he'll try to push it to 56-0 when the Sweet 16 takes place on Friday and Saturday. The record for ESPN's competition is 57-0. The exact odds of a perfect bracket are steep: Most mathematicians put the number at around 1 in 28 billion.
Bill Maher will win the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain humor prize following White House denial
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center says Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain humor prize. The center made the announcement Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied the award would go to the comedian, who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with President Donald Trump. A Trump administration official says the situation changed after further conversations between the Kennedy Center and event organizers. Maher says he just had the award explained to him and it’s like an Emmy, except he wins. The Kennedy Center has presented the award since 1998 to recognize those who've made significant contributions to humor and commentary. Conan O’Brien won last year.
Washington’s cherry blossoms hit peak bloom, sending a fleeting burst of pink across the capital
Washington’s cherry blossoms have reached peak bloom, and the city’s spring rush is in full swing. The National Park Service says the flowering blooms hit their peak on Thursday, meaning 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open. The park service says this timing is typical for late March and early April. The blooms last only a few days. Cool, calm weather helps them stay, but rain, wind or heat can strip petals fast. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs for four weeks, with music and Japanese cultural events. The Tidal Basin is where most of the trees are located, but parts of it are fenced off for seawall repairs.
Italy traces stolen Bond girl fortune to Tuscan vineyards and villas
MILAN (AP) — Italian police say they have seized about 20 million euros in property and assets linked to money stolen from Swiss actor and original Bond girl Ursula Andress. Financial police said Thursday that the haul includes property, land, artworks, along with financial holdings in Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Investigators opened the case after Andress reported fraud to Swiss authorities. She says advisers swindled her over the course of eight years. Italian authorities said the stolen funds moved through foreign companies and deals meant to hide their origin. Police do not say if anyone has been arrested.
A 3-limbed Kemp's ridley sea turtle is now being tracked at sea by satellite
JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sea turtle hospital is getting help from space to monitor animals they've rehabilitated. The scientists are particularly interested in amputees. Using satellite tracking devices in collaboration with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center released Amelie on Wednesday. The Kemp’s ridley turtle lost her right forelimb, probably to a shark bite. The center's staff glued a tracking tag to her shell before returning her to the Atlantic Ocean. They also used ultrasound to see that she's developing eggs. The center is now tracking four amputee turtles. Another one released in January has traveled nearly 700 miles.
Silver insists NBA will 'fix' tanking issue before next season, says he likes 65-game rule
NEW YORK (AP) — Tanking is going to be addressed. The 65-game rule might remain. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted Wednesday that the league will change its draft process and address its tanking problem before the start of next season. And he pointed to the league’s player participation policy as proof of how the league can make effective fixes. The league’s board of governors discussed tanking — the issue of teams trying not to win in order to enhance their odds of landing the best possible draft pick — at its two-day meeting that ended Wednesday. Silver says votes were taken and no fingers were pointed at any specific teams.
Melania Trump shares the spotlight with a robot at an education and technology event
WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump often commands the attention of any room she enters, but on Wednesday, she shared the spotlight with a robot. The humanoid robot Figure 03 accompanied the first lady on Wednesday as she arrived at the White House East Room for the second day of a summit she had convened with counterparts from around the world through her Fostering the Future Together global initiative. They have been discussing ways to empower children through education, innovation and the use of technology, including artificial intelligence. The robot thanked Melania Trump for the invitation to the White House.
One of the largest salt mines in the world exists under Lake Erie
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.
OpenAI pulls the plug on Sora, the viral AI video app that sparked deepfake concerns
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI is shutting down its social media app Sora, which went viral last fall as a place to share short-form videos generated by artificial intelligence but also raised alarms in Hollywood and elsewhere. OpenAI said in a brief social media message Tuesday that it was “saying goodbye to the Sora app” and that it would share more soon about how to preserve what users already created on the app. The company behind ChatGPT released Sora in September as an attempt to capture the attention, and potentially advertising dollars, that follow short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube or Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.
A pink veil across the fields: Thousands flock to Greece’s peach blossoms
VERIA, Greece (AP) — A veil of blossoming trees unfolds each spring across the plains of Greece’s largest peach-producing region. Veria Tourism Club President Gianna Pilitsidou says the plain stretching 170 square kilometers turns completely pink. The trees create a spectacular sight that attracts visitors every year. The visiting tree enthusiasts are mostly from Greece but increasingly also come from around Europe. Over two weekends, thousands of visitors wander among the blooming peach trees around Veria. The northern city is located 72 kilometers west of Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki. The events aim to promote the region and support farmers involved in peach production.
