What are wombats? A guide to Australia's den-digging marsupial
Wombats are furry, nocturnal marsupials found only in Australia. Baby wombats have recently been in the news after an American influencer filmed herself snatching a young joey from its mother, setting off a global conversation about mistreatment of wildlife. Most wombats spend much of their time down under -- in burrows that sometimes include up to ten entrances and tunnels up to 325 feet long. They are herbivores, using their claws only for digging. Wombats are the only animal known to poop out cube-shaped scat.
Aircraft catches fire after landing in Denver, sending passengers onto wing as smoke engulfs plane
DENVER (AP) -- A fire on an American Airlines plane after it diverted mid-flight and landed at Denver International Airport sent fleeing passengers to a wing amid billowing smoke. Airport officials say 12 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The incident Thursday is the latest in a spate of aviation disasters and close calls stoking fears about air travel, though flying remains a very safe mode of transport. The Federal Aviation Administration says Flight 1006 was headed from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth but diverted to Denver after the crew reported engine vibrations. The FAA says that while taxiing to the gate, an engine caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
What's Pi Day all about? Math, science, pies and more
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- College students, rocket scientists and math enthusiasts around the world are celebrating Pi Day. The holiday on March 14 -- or 3/14 -- correlates to the first three digits of the infinite number. It's also Albert Einstein's birthday, making the pie eaten at Pi Day gatherings all the sweeter. Pi is a mathematical constant that expresses the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It is part of many formulas useful in physics, astronomy, engineering and other fields, dating back thousands of years to ancient Egypt and Babylon. Across the country, many events now take place on college campuses.
Illinois votes on a new state flag design -- and chooses the current one
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The Illinois state flag is sometimes derided as an "SOB" -- a state "Seal on a Bedsheet." The white banner emblazoned with the state's eagle-themed emblem was adopted in 1915, so forward-looking lawmakers adopted a law creating a contest for a new one. And the winner is: The current flag. The process conducted by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias solicited designs from the public and received nearly 5,000. A commission narrowed the entries down to 10 plus the current flag and two former banners. The current pennant won 43% of 385,000 votes cast. One of the law's sponsors was Rep. Kam Buckner. The Chicago Democrat says the exercise accomplished part of his goal by "ginning up some pride about Illinois."
John Lennon gets honored on UK coin collection in what would have been his 85th year
LONDON (AP) -- John Lennon is being honored in a specially minted British coin collection to mark the year the Beatles legend and peace advocate would have turned 85. The Royal Mint said Friday that the coin features a portrait of Lennon that is based on a famous image taken by music industry photographer Bob Gruen in 1974. It depicts a side profile of Lennon taken on the roof of his penthouse in New York. Lennon was shot dead by Mark David Chapman in the city on Dec. 8, 1980 at the age of 40. Lennon fans and coin collectors will be able to buy the coins from the Royal Mint's website from Monday.
John Feinstein, bestselling author and one of the country's foremost sports writers, dies at 69
WASHINGTON (AP) -- John Feinstein, one of the country's foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, has died unexpectedly, according to his brother, Robert Feinstein. John Feinstein was 69. He died of natural causes at his brother's home in McLean, Virginia. He was a full-time reporter for the Washington Post from 1977 to 1991 and a commentator for outlets such as NPR, ESPN and the Golf Channel. Feinstein was comfortable writing about all sports, but he was best-known for his connection to college basketball because of his groundbreaking book "A Season on the Brink." He was an AP Top 25 men's basketball poll voter for more than 20 years.
More shots fired at Oregon Tesla dealership in ongoing vandalism since Musk began advising Trump
TIGARD, Ore. (AP) -- Police in Oregon say gunshots were fired at a Tesla dealership for the second time in a week. The Tigard Police Department says that around 4:15 a.m. Thursday, over a dozen shots fired around the suburban Portland business caused extensive damage to cars and showroom windows. No one was hurt. A similar shooting happened on March 6 at the same location. Police say they continue to work with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives to thoroughly investigate. Tesla has been a target of protests and vandalism in the U.S. and elsewhere after CEO Elon Musk took a prominent role in President Donald Trump's administration.
American who snatched a baby wombat from its mother leaves Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- An American influencer has left Australia after the government announced it was reviewing her visa over a video she posted of her snatching a baby wombat from its mother. Sam Jones made her Instagram account private after she was widely condemned for the video. She lifts the joey by its front legs from a roadside then runs away from its mother. "I caught a baby wombat," she said as a man filming her laughs. She returns the wombat to the roadside after several seconds. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Friday his department was looking into her visa and determining whether immigration law was breached. A government official later confirmed she voluntarily flew from Australia on Friday.
Iconic pet reindeer in Alaska falls mysteriously ill after someone tampers in his pen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A beloved reindeer in Alaska's biggest city is fighting for his life after falling mysteriously falling ill after someone tampered with his pen. Star is well-known in Anchorage. He has been in parades, featured on reality TV shows and visited by schoolchildren and tourists. Someone cut the locks off Star's pen Feb 20. The 8-year-old reindeer was found wandering around downtown. The next night, likely the same person was seen spraying something into Star's face and pen. Star's veterinarian says the animal's chance of recovery is uncertain. Police says no viable tips have come in about the suspect.
Measles cases in Europe and Central Asia doubled last year to the highest reported level since 1997
LONDON (AP) -- There were 127,350 reported cases of measles, including 38 deaths, in Europe and Central Asia last year, marking the highest total in nearly 30 years, according to figures from UNICEF and the World Health Organization. In analysis published Thursday, U.N. health experts said Romania had the most measles infections, at more than 30,000, followed by Kazakhstan. UNICEF said that about 40% of measles infections were in children aged under 5 and that more than half of all people sickened by measles had to be hospitalized due to the severity of their illness. Measles is among the world's most infectious diseases and is spread by an airborne virus. It is most commonly spread when infected people cough or sneeze.