Museum's 'Knight Rider' replica car got a speeding ticket. It hasn't gone anywhere in years
A museum in Illinois is wondering how it got a speeding ticket for its replica of the car in the TV show “Knight Rider” that hasn't moved from its display in years. The Volo Museum near Chicago says it got a $50 ticket from New York City linked to the black Pontiac Trans Am this week. The ticket includes traffic cam photos of a black Trans Am with the California license plate KNIGHT. That's the same plate as the one in the show and the novelty plate on the museum's car. It's unclear how the city connected the speeding car to the museum. Messages were left with city officials.
'Ocean Dream' blue-green diamond sells for more than $17 million at Christie's auction in Geneva
GENEVA (AP) — Christie's says a 5.5-carat triangular-cut diamond billed as the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond known to exist has sold for more than 13.5 million Swiss francs or $17.3 million. The auction house said it was a record for a stone of its kind sold at auction. The “Ocean Dream” was the standout offer at the auction house’s Geneva sale of jewelry on Wednesday. It was found in Central Africa in the 1990s. The price easily topped the presale estimate to fetch 7-10 million francs or around $9-13 million. The buyer was an unspecified private collector.
Bald eagle hatchlings spotted in a Chicago park may be the city's first for more than a century
CHICAGO (AP) — Two bald eagle hatchlings have been spotted in a Chicago park in what experts believe is a first for the Windy City in more than a century. Chicago Park District officials say the two eaglets hatched in a nest on the city's Southeast Side. The officials say they first noticed nesting activity in February and the first eaglet was spotted April 28. A second eaglet has since been confirmed in the same nest. Eagles are not uncommon sights in Chicago-area parks, but the agency wasn't aware of any successful breeding until now.
Ancient teeth hint at canoodling between early human relatives
NEW YORK (AP) — An analysis of ancient teeth is giving scientists a rare peek into interactions between human relatives hundreds of thousands of years ago. A new study reveals genetic clues about a human ancestor called Homo erectus. Researchers found two new mutations in ancient proteins from 400,000-year-old teeth. One hints at ancient mixing and mingling between Homo erectus, an extinct group of human cousins called the Denisovans and modern humans. Finding more fossils can help firm up the human evolutionary story. The study was published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Some Japanese snack packages are turning black-and-white as Iran war depletes ink supply
TOKYO (AP) — The packaging on some snacks in Japan is turning a somber black-and-white, as the war in Iran disrupts the supply of an ingredient in colored ink. Calbee, which makes potato chips and cereal, says what’s inside remains the same. Calbee snacks are popular in Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores and shipped to the United States, China and Australia. Calbee’s lightly salted chips, known as “usu shio,” originally came in a bright-orange bag with an image of yellow chips and a potato-man mascot wearing a hat. The new packaging just has monochrome lettering. It's the latest impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war in the Middle East.
Disease outbreak cuts Wyoming, Yellowstone wolf numbers to lowest level since reintroduction era
A disease outbreak significantly reduced wolf numbers in Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park last year. Biologists report the lowest wolf population in 20 years, with canine distemper as the likely cause. This virus is especially lethal to wolf pups, with only 37% surviving the year. The outbreak affected 64% of wolves in northwestern Wyoming. Despite past outbreaks occurring when populations were high, this one happened with lower numbers, prompting further investigation. Wyoming's wolf population fell by 23%, with a 42% drop in breeding pairs. Officials remain hopeful for recovery, citing increased resistance among surviving wolves.
Amazon looks to redefine a need for speed with 30-minute deliveries
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is rapidly opening store-sized delivery hubs in dozens of U.S. and foreign cities to fulfill customers’ most urgent product needs in 30 minutes or less. The e-commerce titan's ultrafast Amazon Now service first launched in India last June. Amazon says it's now also available in five other countries and is expanding in the U.S. The mini-warehouses devoted to Amazon Now stock about 3,500 products. The items include fresh produce, beer, diapers, nonprescription medications, cleaning supplies, electronics and personal care products like shampoo. Offering uberfast deliveries is the latest chapter in the e-commerce titan's relentless pursuit of speed. The company revolutionized online shopping after it introduced two-day shipping in 2005.
Online seller eBay rejects GameStop's $56 billion takeover offer
Online seller eBay is rejecting an unsolicited $56 billion takeover offer from GameStop, calling the proposal “neither credible or attractive.” In a letter from eBay Chairman Paul Pressler sent to GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen, eBay’s board said that it had completed its review of GameStop’s offer and believes that eBay is a “strong, resilient business.”
A massive 11,000-carat ruby has been unearthed in Myanmar’s war-scarred gemstone heartland
BANGKOK (AP) — Miners in Myanmar have discovered a massive ruby, considered to be the second-largest by weight ever found in the country. The ruby, weighing 11,000 carats, was unearthed near Mogok in mid-April. Although it weighs less than a 21,450-carat stone found in 1996, it is considered more valuable due to its superior color and quality. Myanmar produces about 90% of the world’s rubies, with gemstones being a major revenue source. Human rights groups have urged jewelers to stop buying gems from Myanmar, as the industry has funded military governments and fueled internal conflict.
How a 3,400-year-old ballgame survives in Mexico against all odds
LOS LLANITOS, México (AP) — Mexico is embracing its ancient ballgame, ulama, as it prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This 3,400-year-old sport, nearly erased during the Spanish conquest, is gaining attention alongside international soccer. Ulama, played with a heavy rubber ball using only the hips, was once a ritual practice. Today, families like the Osunas in Sinaloa are keeping the tradition alive. While some see tourism as a revival tool, others worry it may distort the sport's cultural significance. Authorities and players are working to preserve ulama's heritage and introduce it to new generations.
