Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi enter Netflix contest
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After organizers of Nathan's' famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest announced that Joey Chestnut wouldn't be competing this year because of a deal with a rival brand, Netflix quickly announced a new hot dog eating contest featuring Chestnut and his “toughest rival.” Chestnut, a 16-time hot dog eating champion, will face off against perennial Nathan's rival Kobayashi Takeru in a Sept. 2 Netflix special, the streamer announced Wednesday. The contest, titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” will see the two devour beef-only hot dogs, an apparent reference to reports that Chestnut's rival brand deal is with Impossible Foods, which makes vegan hot dogs.
Tom Brady inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame on star-studded night
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady brought countless memories and six Super Bowl trophies to the New England Patriots during his 20 years with the team, and the Patriots wanted to celebrate his induction into the franchise's Hall of Fame with a celebration unlike any other. Dozens of Brady's former teammates and coaches from multiple eras of Patriots history joined thousands of fans and celebrities, including Jay-Z and Bon Jovi, to congratulate Brady as the 35th inductee into the team's Hall of Fame. The night also featured video tributes from some of Brady's rivals and cameos from Boston celebrities, including Red Sox legend David Ortiz and actor Matt Damon.
Wreck of famous British-Irish explorer Shackleton's last ship discovered off the coast of Canada
ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland (AP) — The remains of the last ship owned by the famous Irish-born British Antarctic explorer have been found off the coast of Canada by an international team led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. The Quest was found by sonar scanning Sunday evening, stranded keel-down in 390 meters (about 1,280 feet) of swirling, frigid water. The society said Wednesday that a towering mast had snapped off and was lying alongside the ship, likely breaking off when the ship struck ice on May 5, 1962, and was engulfed by deep water. The death of Sir Ernest Shackleton aboard the ship in 1922 marked the end of what historians consider the “heroic age” of Antarctic exploration.
Young bear found relaxing in hammock in Vermont garden
WAITSFIELD, Vt. (AP) — Noah and Kristen Dweck have seen a few black bears around their Vermont home, but this was the first time they'd seen one. It was lounging in a hammock. Noah Dweck was in the front yard of his Waitsfield home on Tuesday when he took a video with his iPhone of two young bears, one of them in a swinging hammock, scaring the bear away. Dweck said it was a cute and funny sight. Dweck was sitting at his desk with the screen door open when he heard the sound of the hammock. Then he noticed there was no wind. He immediately knew it was a bear and took the video.
At least 40 Indians killed in Kuwaiti migrant worker housing building fire
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — At least 40 Indians have been killed in a fire at a building housing foreign workers in Kuwait. Authorities said the early Wednesday blaze appears to be linked to violations of regulations. Dozens of workers lived in the building in the South Mangaf area. India's Ministry of External Affairs said late Wednesday that “around 40 Indians are believed to have been killed and more than 50 injured.” The injured are being treated in five public hospitals, according to a statement. India's Foreign Secretary Kirti Vardhan Singh is due to visit Kuwait to work toward the early repatriation of the bodies and medical assistance to the injured. Kuwait, like other Persian Gulf states, has a large migrant workforce.
Florida's 2024 hurricane season arrives with heavy rain
Dangerous flooding from a tropical disturbance has inundated much of southern Florida, closing roads and causing delays for the Florida Panthers on their way to a Stanley Cup game against the Edmonton Oilers in Canada as cars floated in water. The chaotic storm moved across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, bringing prolonged heavy rainfall across much of the state. In Fort Lauderdale, the mayor declared a state of emergency late Wednesday afternoon as major roads near the city's downtown flooded. In nearby Hollywood, drivers also encountered rising waters on residential roads for much of the afternoon. Gov. Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency for five Florida counties.
Matty Healy's mother says The 1975 singer and model Gabriette Bechtel are engaged
Matty Healy of The 1975 and model Gabriette Bechtel are engaged, Healy's mother said. British actress Denise Welch confirmed the news on ITV's “Loose Women” on Wednesday. Welch said she had known for a few weeks that Matty was engaged. On Tuesday night, Bechtel posted a photo to her Instagram Story showing a large black gemstone ring on her left ring finger. Healy reposted the photo on her own Instagram account, leading fans to believe the couple were engaged. Representatives for Healy and Bechtel did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment.
Elon Musk drops lawsuit against ChatGPT developer OpenAI without explanation
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk has dropped his lawsuit against OpenAI ahead of a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Musk sued the San Francisco artificial intelligence company and its CEO, Sam Altman, in February, accusing them of betraying the chat GPT maker's founding purpose of promoting the benefit of humanity, not profit. Musk's lawyers filed a notice on Tuesday seeking to dismiss the entire lawsuit. No reason was given for the withdrawal, and neither Musk nor any of his attorneys for the lawsuit attended Wednesday's status hearing.
Top investigator in Karen Reed murder case questioned over inappropriate text messages
BOSTON (AP) — The defense in the case of a woman who allegedly left her Boston police boyfriend in the snow to die has grilled the lead investigator about nasty and inappropriate emails written about her. Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor also acknowledged Wednesday that he was friends with several witnesses. The defense also criticized Proctor for emails that appeared to name Karen Reed as responsible for John O'Keefe's death, sent less than 24 hours after his body was discovered in January 2022. Prosecutors say Reed hit O'Keefe with an SUV and fled the scene. The defense argues she was being set up to be trapped.
Juan Soto joins Daddy Yankee and Kyle Tucker on Topps Series 2 card with Travis Scott
Juan Soto has appeared on baseball cards alongside Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout and other big-name stars. But this card was, well, a little different. It featured New York Yankees slugger and Puerto Rican musician Daddy Yankee. “Big Boss! That's awesome,” Soto said. The Soto/Daddy Yankee collaboration is one of two “Signature Tunes” cards in the latest edition of Topps Series 2, which spotlights players and the artists behind their walk-up music. The other “Signature Tunes” card features Houston Astros slugger Kyle Tucker and rap superstar Travis Scott.
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