Review: Slice into the holiday spirit with ‘Violent Night’
November 30, 2022 GMTThe holiday season is upon us and how better to celebrate than watching Santa slip several pool balls into a Christmas stocking, swing them in the air menacingly and see him cave in someone's face?
Ancient DNA gives rare snapshot of Neanderthal family ties
October 19, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A new study suggests Neanderthals formed small, tightknit communities where females may have traveled to move in with their mates.
The research used genetic sleuthing to offer a rare snapshot of Neanderthal family dynamics — including a father and his teenage daughter who lived together in Siberia more than 50,000 years ago.
Orioles claim Cave off waivers from Minnesota, DFA Reed
October 12, 2022 GMTBALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles claimed outfielder Jake Cave off waivers from the Minnesota Twins and designated right-hander Jake Reed for assignment.
Rare fish species in Nevada desert cavern on the rebound
October 8, 2022 GMTDEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The annual fall count of an extremely rare fish species that lives in a single Mojave Desert cavern found the highest number in 19 years, the National Park Service said.
Israel acquires rare ancient papyrus with Hebrew inscription
September 7, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has acquired a previously unknown ancient papyrus bearing a Hebrew inscription dated to around 2,700 years ago that had long been in possession of a Montana resident, the country's antiquities authority said Wednesday.
Mammoth Cave to improve underground trail
August 31, 2022 GMTCAVE CITY, Ky. (AP) — Mammoth Cave National Park plans to start improvements this fall on an underground trail with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act.
The park said in a statement that it will receive about $6.5 million in funding to rehabilitate about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of a trail from the New Entrance to the Frozen Niagara entrance.
Cave’s homer, 4 RBIs help Twins complete sweep of Giants
August 28, 2022 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jake Cave homered, doubled and drove in four runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the San Francisco Giants 8-3 to finish a three-game sweep Sunday.
Cave gave the Twins a 3-2 lead with his second homer of the season in the fourth inning.
Some like it hot: Eating spicy in China’s WWII shelters
August 25, 2022 GMTCHONGQING, China (AP) — The city of Chongqing, dubbed one of China's four “furnace” cities, is known for both soaring temperatures and spicy cuisine — notably its hotpot, a peppery bubbling tabletop broth into which diners dunk bite-size pieces of food to cook and eat.
Palestinians left in tense limbo by Israeli expulsion order
August 4, 2022 GMTAL-FAKHEET, West Bank (AP) — After repeatedly rebuilding his home only to have it demolished by Israeli soldiers, Mohammed Abu Sabaha has a new plan to remain on the land — he is moving into a cave.
Review: ‘Thirteen Lives’ gets lost in sprawling rescue story
August 3, 2022 GMTTwenty-seven years ago, Ron Howard's “Apollo 13” saluted men with the right stuff — quiet courage and grace under pressure. This summer, he's returned to that magic number for a similar rescue tale but traded the vastness of space for a film deep underground.
In ‘Thirteen Lives,’ Ron Howard directs the Thai cave rescue
August 3, 2022 GMTIt may be common etiquette to not spoil the end of a film, but Ron Howard learned years ago on “Apollo 13” that knowing the outcome of a story is different from knowing the story itself. And though the 2018 rescue of the Thai boys’ soccer team and their coach is considerably fresher in our collective memories, Howard saw in it a similar opportunity.
Thousands rescued at flood-hit Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir
July 9, 2022 GMTSRINAGAR, India (AP) — Emergency workers rescued thousands of pilgrims after flash floods triggered by sudden rains swept through their makeshift camps during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Saturday.
Contract reached to fund ferry linking Kentucky, Illinois
July 5, 2022 GMTMARION, Ky. (AP) — A new contract has been reached to continue service by the Cave-in-Rock Ferry, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said.
The ferry connects Kentucky 91 in Crittenden County with Illinois 1 in Hardin County, Illinois, carrying some 500 vehicles daily over the Ohio River.
India Hindus begin pilgrimage in Kashmir amid heavy security
June 30, 2022 GMTSRINAGAR, India (AP) — Thousands of Hindu devotees began an annual pilgrimage Thursday through mountain passes and meadows to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir amid heavy security in the Muslim-majority region.
Sheriff: 2 divers drown in Florida cave diving expedition
June 23, 2022 GMTBROOKSVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Two men drowned while on a diving expedition in a mazelike Florida cave system that extends deep below the surface, authorities said Thursday.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said three teenagers saw the two divers go into the Buford Springs Cave on Wednesday, but one surfaced and was floating unresponsively.
Exhibit of famed prehistoric cave to open in Marseille
June 3, 2022 GMTMARSEILLE, France (AP) — A permanent virtual exhibit of one of France’s most famous prehistoric sites, the undersea Cosquer Cave, is set to open its doors as concerns grow that it could be completely inundated as a result of rising tides driven by climate change.
With eye to China investment, Taliban now preserve Buddhas
March 27, 2022 GMTMES AYNAK, Afghanistan (AP) — The ancient Buddha statues sit in serene meditation in the caves carved into the russet cliffs of rural Afghanistan. Hundreds of meters below lies what is believed to be the world’s largest deposit of copper.
Now Taliban preserve Buddhas, with eye to China investment
March 27, 2022 GMTMES AYNAK, Afghanistan (AP) — The ancient Buddha statues sit in serene meditation in the caves carved into the russet cliffs of rural Afghanistan. Hundreds of meters below lies what is believed to be the world’s largest deposit of copper.
Fungus-ravaged bat proposed for endangered species listing
March 22, 2022 GMTTRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials on Tuesday proposed designating the northern long-eared bat, once common but ravaged by a deadly fungus, as an endangered species.
The population has plummeted since colonies infected with white-nose syndrome were spotted in New York caves in the mid-2000s.
Water traps 3 Polish researchers in Austrian cave
February 18, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Rescuers in Austria on Friday tried to reach three Polish researchers who got trapped when water from melted ice or snow entered the cave where they were working, authorities said.
Officials in Salzburg said a rescue operation was launched late Thursday in the Lamprechtsofen cave near the village of St.
Girls discover hideaway of a convicted felon at Indiana cave
February 14, 2022 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A group of girls discovered the hideaway of a convicted felon at an Indiana cave, authorities said.
Investigators learned that the illegal campsite was used by a man who's now in jail in an unrelated matter, Indiana DNR Law Enforcement said Monday on Facebook.
French cave tells new story about Neanderthals, early humans
February 9, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — A hillside dwelling overlooking the picturesque Rhone Valley in southern France proved irresistible for our ancestors, attracting both Neanderthals and modern humans long before the latter were thought to have reached that part of Europe, a new study suggests.
Prosecutor: No charges in amusement park death of 6-year-old
February 2, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — A Colorado prosecutor says he cannot prove that any individual is responsible for the 2021 death of a 6-year-old girl who died on an amusement park ride and has decided not to file charges in the case.
Firefighters rescue injured woman from Minnesota cave
December 30, 2021 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Firefighters have rescued an injured woman from a cave in a Minneapolis park.
The city’s fire department issued a news release saying firefighters got a call about 6 p.m. Wednesday that a woman had fallen in the cave located behind the frozen Minnehaha Falls in Minnehaha Regional Park in Minneapolis.
3.5 tons of trash pulled from Missouri 60-foot sinkhole cave
December 18, 2021 GMTSte. Genevieve County, Mo. (AP) — Volunteers have removed 3.5 tons of garbage from a sinkhole cave in southeast Missouri in a single day.
The Missouri Department of Conservation said Friday the focus of the recent project was an area of Ste.
Western Kentucky professor wins science award from China
November 23, 2021 GMTBOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A Western Kentucky University professor received an award from China's Ministry of Science for his work on water resources in poor regions.
Longtime professor Chris Groves was given the "Friendship Award," which China bestows on foreign experts who contribute to the country's economic and social progress, according to a release from the university.
Superior shows generational divide over views on copper mine
November 14, 2021 GMTSUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) — The kids care about the future of mining. But they also care about Native American rights.
These kinds of contradictions and concerns lie in the background of Superior, a small town nestled in the mountains at the start of Pinal County’s Copper Corridor.
Man trapped for two days rescued from Britain’s deepest cave
November 9, 2021 GMTLONDON (AP) — Bolstered by treats tucked in their helmets, some 240 rescuers worked in shifts for more than two days to help extricate a cave explorer who lost his footing and tumbled into one of Britain's deepest hollows.
Pinnacles National Park caves vandalized by graffiti
November 8, 2021 GMTPINNACLES NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A famous cave system at Pinnacles National Park in central California remains closed for removal of extensive graffiti damage.
Officials had expected to reopen the Balconies Caves last Friday but extended the closure to Nov.
Kentucky man sentenced for stealing guns from employer
November 4, 2021 GMTBOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky man was sentenced to almost seven years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution after admitting he stole more than 300 guns from the pawn shop where he worked.
State to drain, expedite repairs at Cave Creek Dam near Ely
October 27, 2021 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — State officials have decided to close and fully drain a reservoir in eastern Nevada to expedite repairs and eliminate potentially dangerous conditions at the 89-year-old Cave Creek Dam sooner than originally was planned over several seasons.
Gates installed on Alabama bat cave to protect habitat
October 23, 2021 GMTANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — Gates have been installed at the mouth of a cave in eastern Alabama to protect the habitat of two endangered species that live in the cavern, the state wildlife agency said.
Mined by the Confederacy during the Civil War for saltpeter, a component of gunpowder, Weaver Cave near Anniston is an important home for gray bats and tricolored bats, according to a release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Green hydrogen hub in Mississippi to be largest in US
October 20, 2021 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Jackson-based company has announced plans to build a green hydrogen hub in Mississippi it says will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. and create an easier pathway for hard-to-decarbonize manufacturing industries to move away from fossil fuels.
Forest Service seeks to pinpoint Hanging Lake headwaters
October 10, 2021 GMTGLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The fire, floods and massive debris flows of the past year in Glenwood Canyon could help answer an aeons-old question — where exactly does the underground source of water that feeds Hanging Lake begin?
In ‘The Rescue’ a perilous underwater mission in focus
October 7, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Richard Stanton, the elite British cave diver who helped lead the mission to save 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018, isn’t much for movies. Stanton will without hesitation plunge into the murkiest of waters but he rarely sets foot inside a darkened movie theater.
Review: Thai cave incident explored in riveting ‘The Rescue’
October 6, 2021 GMTThe outcome is right there in the title. And yet the new documentary “ The Rescue,” about the harrowing 18-day ordeal in which 12 young soccer players and their coach were saved from a flooded cave in Thailand, is still a stressful, suspenseful experience.
Report: Girl wasn’t buckled in before fatal theme park fall
September 25, 2021 GMTDENVER, Colo. (AP) — A 6-year-old Colorado girl who died in a fall from a theme park ride this month wasn't wearing the seat belts, and operators of the vertical drop ride didn't properly check the restraints before allowing it to begin, according to a report from state investigators.
Autonomous robots prepped for cave search and rescue mission
September 18, 2021 GMTPITTSBURGH (AP) — After practicing in a former limestone mine and an abandoned hospital outside of Pittsburgh, a fleet of robots from Carnegie Mellon University is headed to Kentucky for the final test of the ability to autonomously navigate an uncertain, underground course.
World’s longest cave system adds 8 miles
September 15, 2021 GMTCAVE CITY, Ky. (AP) — The world's longest cave system has added 8 miles (13 kilometers) to its length, officials said.
The additional mileage was mapped and documented by the Cave Research Foundation, Mammoth Cave National Park said Saturday in a statement.
Missouri cave with ancient Native American drawings sold
September 14, 2021 GMTO'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri cave containing Native American artwork from more than 1,000 years ago was sold at auction Tuesday, disappointing leaders of the Osage Nation who hoped to buy the land to “protect and preserve our most sacred site.”
‘Free Solo’ filmmakers swap peaks for depths in ‘The Rescue’
September 11, 2021 GMTIn “The Rescue,” Oscar-winning “Free Solo” filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin trade climbing peaks for watery depths.
Their documentary, which premieres Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival, retraces the 2018 rescue of the youth soccer team from Thailand's Tham Luang cave, detailing the daring underwater maneuvers of an international group of elite cave divers.
Girl who died at amusement park ID’d as probe continues
September 9, 2021 GMTGLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The family of a 6-year-old girl who died at a Colorado amusement park is raising money to pay for her funeral as an investigation continues into what happened.
The girl was identified as Wongel Estifanos on Wednesday by Garfield County Coroner Rob Glassmire, who released a link to a GoFundMe page endorsed by her family.
Cantlay comes up clutch to beat DeChambeau in playoff at BMW
August 30, 2021 GMTOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Patrick Cantlay had enough on his hands to keep his attention Sunday as he was locked in an epic battle with Bryson DeChambeau, a compelling contrast of styles and personalities Sunday in the BMW Championship.
DeChambeau takes 1-shot lead into weekend at Caves Valley
August 28, 2021 GMTOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The opportunity was there, and the putts didn't fall. This wasn't Bryson DeChambeau trying to break 60, but Jon Rahm trying to take the lead Saturday morning at the BMW Championship.
Soft conditions yielding low scores at Caves Valley
August 28, 2021 GMTBryson DeChambeau missed shooting a 59 by inches.
He might not be the last person to threaten the milestone in these conditions at Caves Valley.
DeChambeau's 12-under 60 stood out, but it was another day of low scores in general at the BMW Championship on Friday.
DeChambeau overpowers Caves Valley and narrowly misses a 59
August 28, 2021 GMTOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Big, wide and soft Caves Valley didn't stand a chance against Bryson DeChambeau on Friday in the BMW Championship. Only the record book did.
DeChambeau overpowered the vulnerable course, and when his 8-iron to the par-5 16th rolled off a bank on the back of the green down to 2 feet for eagle, he needed two birdies on the final two holes to tie the PGA Tour record of 58.
McIlroy, Rahm part of 3-way tie for lead at Caves Valley
August 26, 2021 GMTOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Rory McIlroy found his energy level low amid the busy schedule and stifling summer heat. A good night of sleep and posting his lowest start in nearly a year at the BMW Championship on Thursday seemed to do the trick.
Donaldson, Cave homer in 10th to lead Twins past Red Sox 9-6
August 26, 2021 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who grew up in Rhode Island rooting for the Red Sox and played for them near the end of his career, knows better than to mess with the legend of Ted Williams in Boston.
Spieth, Phelps, Under Armour founder in a pro-am together
August 25, 2021 GMTOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Some pro-ams get Jordan Spieth's attention more than others, and such was the case Wednesday at Caves Valley in the BMW Championship.
“This was really more important than the tournament to me.
Persephone, the robot guide, leads visitors in a Greek cave
August 19, 2021 GMTALISTRATI, Greece (AP) — Persephone is a tour guide in Greece, but perhaps not the type people are used to.
Billed as the world’s first robot tour guide inside a cave, Persephone has been welcoming visitors since mid-July to the Alistrati Cave in northern Greece, 135 kilometers (84 miles) northeast of the city of Thessaloniki.
Rat nests contribute to fossil record in odd Wyoming cave
July 25, 2021 GMTNATURAL TRAP CAVE, Wyo. (AP) — It’s time to praise pack rats.
The small rodents with big eyes are helping scientists decipher climate change deep inside a chilly Wyoming cave.
“Pack rats compulsively gather all kinds of stuff in their nests — bones, shiny stuff, owl pellets, scat — and they bring it to their nest,” said Jenny McGuire, an assistant professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech University.
Warner Bros studio tour expands with DC Universe, Potter
July 10, 2021 GMTBURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Batman’s secret cave, Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs and the apartment from “Friends” are major centerpieces to the huge Warner Bros. studio lot expansion.
New superintendent named for Natchez Trace Parkway
July 2, 2021 GMTTUPELO, Miss. (AP) — A 30-year veteran of the National Park Service will take over as leader of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
National Park Service acting Regional Director Pedro Ramos announced Thursday the appointment of Douglas “Doug” Neighbor as the new superintendent of Natchez Trace Parkway, beginning Aug.
Ranger retires after 53 years guiding at Timpanogos Cave
June 27, 2021 GMTPROVO, Utah (AP) — If you have visited Timpanogos Cave National Monument in the past 53 years, you have likely come in contact with Ranger Jay Allen, learning from and catching a love for the caves from him.
Affidavit: FBI feared Pennsylvania would seize fabled gold
June 25, 2021 GMTAn FBI agent applied for a federal warrant in 2018 to seize a fabled cache of U.S. government gold he said was “stolen during the Civil War” and hidden in a Pennsylvania cave, saying the state might take the gold for itself if the feds asked for permission, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.
Injuries, arrests mar 5-day ‘Redneck Rave’ at Kentucky park
June 23, 2021 GMTMAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. (AP) — Dozens of people face criminal charges or suffered injuries during a five-day party in south central Kentucky billed as a “Redneck Rave."
Blue Holler Offroad Park in Edmonson County hosted the event last week that organizers said would feature “mud, music and mayhem,” the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
Illinois reopening Monroe County cave system
June 12, 2021 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A cave system in southern Illinois closed more than a decade ago will reopen to the public this month.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced this week that Illinois Caverns in Monroe County will reopen on Wednesday.
Archaeologists discover remains of 9 Neanderthals near Rome
May 8, 2021 GMTROME (AP) — Italian archaeologists have uncovered the fossilized remains of nine Neanderthals in a cave near Rome, shedding new light on how the Italian peninsula was populated and under what environmental conditions...
Turkish jets, troops hit PKK targets in new Iraq incursion
April 28, 2021 GMTANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish warplanes were continuing on Wednesday to strike suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq, while commando troops were conducting a search and sweep operation, Turkey’s defense ministry said, as the military pressed ahead with its latest incursion into the neighboring region...