Pale Male, red-tailed hawk who nested above NYC’s Fifth Avenue for 30 years, dies at 33
NEW YORK (AP) — A red-tailed hawk named Pale Male has died after bringing a touch of the wild to swanky Manhattan for 30 years. The hawk gained fame nesting above Fifth Avenue for three decades with a succession of mates. Wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath posted on Facebook that Pale Male died late Tuesday. The bird was found ill and grounded in Central Park. He was believed to be 33 years old. Pale Male got his name because of his whitish plumage. He was first spotted in Central Park as a juvenile in 1991 and began nesting on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park in 1993.
Justice Department watchdog finds US attorney in Massachusetts tried to influence DA election
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department’s internal watchdog is out with a highly critical report on the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. The inspector general says Rachael Rollins tried to use her position to influence the outcome of a race for Boston’s district attorney by leaking information aimed at sabotaging the campaign of her preferred candidate’s rival. The report accuses Rollins of a broad array of misconduct. Another federal watchdog agency, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, found in its own investigative report that on multiple occasions, Rollins violated a law that political activity by government workers. Her lawyer says Rollins will resign by the end of the day on Friday.
Target wrestles with pullback in spending and theft that may cost retailer more than $1B this year
NEW YORK (AP) — Target has reported another quarterly profit decline and issued a cautious sales and profit outlook for the current period. The discounter is dealing with rising costs and consumers who are more cautious about their spending. Still, Target’s fiscal first-quarter results Wednesday beat Wall Street expectations and the company reiterated its annual sales and profit forecasts. Target is among the first major U.S. retailers to report first-quarter earnings. Retail industry analysts will be looking to see how stubbornly high inflation and tightening credit are impacting shoppers.
2nd escaped inmate captured after breaking out of Philadelphia prison
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say the second of two inmates who escaped from a Philadelphia prison earlier this month has been captured. The head of a federal marshals fugitive task force said 18-year-old Ameen Hurst was arrested Wednesday morning in west Philadelphia after several deadlines for him to surrender came and went. Hurst and another man escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center on May 7 by cutting a hole in a fence surrounding a recreation yard. The two men were gone for nearly 19 hours before officials knew they were missing. Hurst was being held on four counts of murder before he escaped. The other man was arrested Thursday night; he was being held on drug charges before the escape.
Exceptional rains in drought-struck northern Italy kill 8, cancel Formula One Grand Prix
CASTEL BOLOGNESE, Italy (AP) — Officials say eight people are now confirmed dead in northern Italy following floods from rain-swollen rivers. The flooding forced Formula One to cancel this weekend’s Grand Prix in Emilia-Romagna. Officials are warning the rivers could again burst their banks as rain continues. The rainfall has also stretched across the Balkans. Flooding, landslides and evacuations were reported in Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia. The mayor of Cesena warned residents Wednesday that continued heavy rains in the Emilia-Romagna region could again flood the Savio river and smaller tributaries. The Civil Protection agency says rescue operations were particularly difficult given the affected flood zone covered a broad swath of four provinces that until the heavy rains had been parched by a prolonged drought.
PEN America, Penguin Random House sue Florida school district over book bans
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Writers’ group PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House have sued a Florida school district over its removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities. The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday marks the latest opposition to a policy central to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda as he prepares to run for president. The case alleges the Escambia County School District and its School Board are violating the First Amendment through the removal of the books. It doesn’t name DeSantis as a defendant though the Republican governor has championed policies that allow the censorship and challenging of books based on whether they are appropriate for children in schools.
Nepal’s Sherpa guide regains title for most climbs of Mount Everest after 27th trip
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — One of the greatest mountain guides has regained his title for the most climbs of Mount Everest after scaling the peak for the 27th time. Kami Rita of Nepal reached the summit on Wednesday just three days after a fellow Sherpa climber had equalled his previous record. He was among the season’s first wave of climbers to reach the top. He first scaled Everest in 1994, and has been making the trip nearly every year since then. His father was among the first Sherpa guides. In addition to his Everest climbs, Rita has scaled several other peaks that are among the world’s highest. A rush for the summit is expected in the next couple of weeks. Nepalese authorities have issued nearly 470 permits for Everest this spring.
Danish Supreme Court says newspaper did not violate copyright of Little Mermaid statue
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s Supreme Court has overruled two lower courts, saying a cartoon depicting Copenhagen’s The Little Mermaid statue as a zombie and a photo of it with a face mask did not violate the copyright of the famous bronze. Courts earlier found that both were copyright infringements, and ordered the Berlingske newspaper — one of Denmark’s largest — to pay the sculptor’s heirs thousands of kroner in compensation. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court said that neither “infringed the copyright.” The plaintiffs were the heirs of the sculptor who created the girl-size mermaid that has been sitting on a rock at the entrance of the Copenhagen harbor since 1913.
Katie Taylor worries loss of Olympic boxing would be ‘huge blow’ to the sport
LONDON (AP) — Katie Taylor had Olympic dreams long before she became one of the faces of women’s professional boxing. The Irish fighter won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games and now has a hugely successful pro career. She’s worried that future generations won’t get the same chance because of a long-running dispute between Olympic officials and the International Boxing Association. The International Olympic Committee has declined to confirm boxing’s place in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Taylor addressed the topic ahead of her fight against Chantelle Cameron in Dublin on Saturday. She says without the Olympics “it might put a lot of people off the sport.”
At Cannes Film Festival, Johnny Depp says ‘I have no further need for Hollywood’
CANNES, France (AP) — Appearing at the Cannes Film Festival the day after premiering his first film in three years, Johnny Depp said Wednesday that he has “no further need” for Hollywood. Depp made a rare public appearance to face questions from the press following the opening-night premiere of “Jeanne du Barry,” in which Depp plays King Louis XV. The film, directed by and starring Maiwann is Depp’s first film since a jury last year largely sided with him in his legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Depp called the majority of what’s been written about him in recent years “fantastically, horrifically written fiction.”
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