World's oldest known tortoise still very much alive despite rumor to the contrary
LONDON (AP) — Reports of the death of Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, have been greatly exaggerated. Jonathan, a 193-year-old Seychelles giant tortoise, is still alive on the island of St. Helena. News of his alleged passing spread rapidly on social media on April Fools' Day. An account, falsely claiming to be by a veterinarian, announced the tortoise's death and gathered nearly 2 million views. The real veterinarian later clarified it was a hoax aimed at soliciting crypto donations. Jonathan is listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living land animal.
Hailee Steinfeld says she and Bills quarterback Josh Allen have welcomed a baby girl
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and actor and singer Hailee Steinfeld are proud parents of a baby girl. Steinfeld announced Thursday in her newsletter that their daughter has been born without sharing any further specifics on the date or the baby’s name. She wrote they are grateful, blessed and savoring the early moments. Steinfeld is coming off a year in which she earned acclaim for her role in the movie “Sinners.” Allen and Steinfeld married last May and announced in the same newsletter in December that they were expecting their first child.
McDonald's tries a simpler approach with its new McValue menu
McDonald’s is simplifying its value menu strategy. Starting on April 21, the fast-food giant’s budget-focused McValue menu will have 10 items that each cost under $3. They include hash browns, a small order of fries, a Sausage McMuffin and a McDouble burger. The standardized selection will replace the McValue offer that lets customers choose from a limited array of $1 items if they purchase a regular-priced item. McDonald’s is also introducing a $4 Meal Deal at breakfast. Value menus are designed to offer customers more affordable options, even as fast-food companies also bring out higher-priced items. Taco Bell launched a 10-item Luxe Value Menu in January, when Wendy's revamped its Biggie Deals.
A priceless ancient golden helmet stolen from a Dutch museum is recovered
ASSEN, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch authorities have recovered a priceless ancient golden helmet from Romania stolen last year from a museum in the Netherlands. Under police guard, prosecutors unveiled the 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet during a press conference in the eastern Dutch city of Assen on Thursday. The helmet, considered a cultural icon of Romania, was on loan to the Drents Museum when it was nabbed more than a year ago. The theft sent shock waves through the art world.
Megan Thee Stallion takes 2 Broadway shows off after illness during 'Moulin Rouge!'
NEW YORK (AP) — Megan Thee Stallion was rushed to the hospital after feeling very ill onstage during "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" on Broadway. She later explained on social media that she had been pushing herself too hard. An understudy stepped in Tuesday night, allowing the show to continue. Megan announced she would take Wednesday's performances off to rest and recuperate. She plans to return Thursday, feeling stronger and ready. Megan made her Broadway debut last week as Harold Zidler in the show, which is set to close in July after a seven-year run.
Quadruple amputee cornhole player acted in self-defense when shooting car passenger, lawyer says
LA PLATA, Md. (AP) — A Maryland judge has denied bail to a quadruple amputee professional cornhole player accused of fatally shooting a passenger in his Tesla last month. District Court Judge ordered Dayton James Webber to remain jailed without bail during a hearing by videoconference Wednesday. An attorney for Webber says his client acted in self-defense when he fatally shot 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, and that he expects “a lengthy trial” to prove it. The 27-year-old Webber, whose arms and legs were amputated at 10 months old to save his life from a disease, is charged with murder and other counts. He hasn't entered a plea and is due back in court May 6.
Hershey says it will shift back to classic recipe for all Reese's products after criticism
Hershey said Wednesday it will use classic recipes for all Reese’s products starting next year. The change comes after the grandson of Reese’s founder criticized the company for shifting to cheaper ingredients. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have always been made with real milk chocolate or dark chocolate and peanut butter. But a small portion of Hershey’s and Reese’s products, like mini Easter eggs, are now made with a coating that contains less chocolate. Hershey said that in 2027, it will shift those products to “their classic milk chocolate and dark chocolate recipes.” It will also be transitioning to natural colors in its sweets next year.
A 4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake and residents report shaking homes for miles
BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (AP) — An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 in Northern California has awakened residents with a jolt. Many say they felt their homes shake for a few seconds early Thursday across a 100-mile stretch, including San Francisco. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the earthquake was centered a mile from Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains at about 1:40 a.m. There are no immediate reports of serious damage. Residents as far north as Petaluma also felt it. In February, a series of small earthquakes rattled the San Francisco Bay Area, with the most powerful being a magnitude 4.2.
Rescuers give up hope for the humpback whale stranded in the Baltic Sea
BERLIN (AP) — Rescuers say they lost hope for the humpback whale that has become stranded repeatedly off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast. They now expect it to die in the inlet where it currently lies. The whale swam into an inlet on the small island of Poel, near the port of Wismar, on Tuesday and got stuck again. Last week, it was rescued from even shallower water at the resort town of Timmendorfer Strand with the help of an excavator, but it soon ran into trouble again. The whale was breathing irregularly on Wednesday and drone photos showed little sign of activity in the sediment under the animal.
Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris is free after 6 months in an Oklahoma jail for child sex abuse
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The founder of a Texas megachurch who resigned after pleading guilty to sexually abusing an Oklahoma woman in the 1980s has been released from an Oklahoma jail. Osage County officials say 64-year-old Robert Preston Morris was released early Tuesday. He served six months after pleading guilty last year to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Under the agreement, he received a 10-year suspended sentence and must register as a sex offender. He also was ordered to pay his incarceration costs and restitution to the victim. Prosecutors say the abuse began in 1982 when the victim was 12 and Morris was a traveling evangelist staying in Hominy, Oklahoma.
