Finland is again ranked the happiest country in the world. The US falls to its lowest-ever position
Finns are the happiest people in the world, according to a new global report. The northern European country is leading the world in happiness for the eighth year in a row. According to Thursday's World Happiness Report, the top 20 happiest countries include 14 western industrial countries, two countries from Latin America, and one from the Middle East. The United States has fallen to its lowest-ever position, and Afghanistan is again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, with Afghan women saying their lives are especially difficult.
Newly released JFK assassination files reveal more about CIA but don't yet point to conspiracies
DALLAS (AP) — Newly released documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 are giving curious readers more details Wednesday into Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations but didn’t initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK. Assessments Wednesday of the roughly 2,200 files posted on the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration website came with the caveat that no one had enough time to review more than a small fraction of them. Some were not directly related to the assassination but dealt with CIA operations, particularly in Cuba. Nothing initially countered the conclusion that Oswald was the only gunman in Kennedy's assassination in Dallas.
Defense Department webpage on Jackie Robinson goes down, then returns amid DEI purge
A Department of Defense webpage describing baseball and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson’s military service has been restored. That's after it was missing earlier Wednesday. The development comes after a page honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner was momentarily taken down amid the department’s campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers “DEI.” A Pentagon spokesman says when content is removed that is beyond the scope of the directive, that is corrected. The page on Robinson includes biographical information about his Army service during World War II.
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano resumes on-and-off again eruption that has dazzled park visitors
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s most active volcano has resumed erupting after a weeklong pause. The U.S. Geological Survey said Kilauea began continuously releasing lava from its summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at 9:26 a.m. Wednesday. The molten rock was contained within the park and wasn’t threatening residential areas. The volcano began its current eruption on Dec. 23. The eruption has stopped and resumed more than a dozen times since. The shortest episode lasted 13 hours. The longest lasted eight days. Each time, the volcano has sent lava shooting high into the sky from caldera vents. That's created a dramatic sight for park visitors.
Sia files for divorce from husband Daniel Bernard nearly 2 years after marriage
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sia has filed for divorce from second husband Daniel Bernard after two years of marriage. The Grammy-nominated Australian singer-songwriter whose legal name is Sia Furler filed the petition Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason and asked the court to award no spousal support payments to Bernard. She’s also seeking custody of their 11-month-old child. They were legally married in December of 2022 and had a small marriage ceremony in Portofino, Italy, the following May. Sia has been nominated for nine Grammys. Five of them were for her 2014 hit “Chandelier.”
Quirky livestream that lets viewers help fish is a hit with millions
UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) — The central Dutch city of Utrecht has installed a “fish doorbell” that lets viewers of an online livestream help fish in their springtime swim to shallow spawning grounds. The website has attracted millions of viewers from around the world with its quirky mix of slow TV and ecological activism. The idea is simple: An underwater camera at a local lock sends footage to a website. When somebody watching it sees a fish, they can send a screenshot to organizers. When they see enough fish, they alert a water worker who opens the lock to let the fish swim through.
A former studio engineer is charged with stealing unreleased Eminem music and selling it online
Federal prosecutors in Michigan have charged a former Eminem studio engineer with stealing the rap star's unreleased music and selling it online. Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck in Detroit announced Wednesday that Joseph Strange is charged with copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen goods. Strange's attorney says the charges are untested allegations and the matter will be handled in court. According to an FBI affidavit, Strange lost his job at Eminem's suburban Detroit studio in 2021. Other studio employees reported to the FBI in January that unreleased music was appearing online. People who had purchased the music led investigators to Strange.
Italian postal service sees surge in mail for Pope Francis, much sent from children
ROME (AP) — The Italian postal service has seen a huge increase in mail addressed to Pope Francis since his Feb. 14 hospitalization. Some letters are clearly written by children and bearing stamps from around the world. Many are simply addressed to the pope at “Gemelli Hospital” in Rome. Postal workers sort the mail into big yellow boxes, labeled “Papa Francesco.” Each day hospital workers come to take the letters away to make sure they get to the 88-year-old Francis at the 10th floor hospital suite where he is recovering from double pneumonia.
Burrow, Cousins and Goff will be featured on 2nd season of Netflix's 'Quarterback' series
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins and Detroit’s Jared Goff will be featured on the second season of Netflix’s “Quarterback” series. The streamer announced the series will debut in July with a promotional video released on Wednesday. “Quarterback” debuted in 2023 and was one of Netflix’s top-streamed series. Last year, NFL Films, Omaha Productions and 2PM Productions had the series “Receiver,” following five wide receivers and quarterbacks throughout the 2023 season. Burrow, Cousins and Goff had their 2024 season chronicled on and off the field.
Ben & Jerry's alleges parent company Unilever removed its CEO over social activism
Ben & Jerry’s says its CEO was unlawfully removed by its parent company, Unilever, in retaliation for the ice cream maker’s social and political activism. In a federal court filing late Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever informed its board on March 3 that it was removing and replacing Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever. Ben & Jerry’s said that action violated its merger agreement with Unilever, which states that any decision regarding a CEO’s removal must follow a consultation with an advisory committee from Ben & Jerry’s board. Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000. The marriage of the London-based company and the progressive brand based in Vermont hasn't been a happy one lately.