Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- A man has waived his right to a jury trial in the killing of a Georgia nursing student. Jose Ibarra appeared in court Tuesday to make the request. He's been charged in the February killing of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley. Her death became a flashpoint in the national immigration debate when Ibarra was charged. He is a Venezuelan citizen who was allowed to stay in the U.S. to pursue his immigration case after he entered the country illegally. Republicans blamed Democratic policies for her death.
Spy satellite images lead archeologists to the site of a historic battle in Iraq
BEIRUT (AP) -- Declassified 1970s-era U.S. spy satellite imagery has led a British-Iraqi archeological team to what they believe is the site of a seventh-century battle that became decisive in the spread of Islam throughout the region. The Battle of al-Qadisiyah was fought in Mesopotamia -- present-day Iraq -- in the A.D. 630s between Arab Muslims and the army of the Sassanid Persian dynasty during a period of Muslim expansion. The Arab army prevailed and continued on its march into Persia, now Iran.
European fake art network involving Banksys, Warhols, Modiglianis uncovered in Italy
ROME (AP) -- Italian authorities say they have dismantled a network of European art forgers who made fake Warhols, Banksys and Picassos and then tried to sell them with the help of complicit auction houses. Thirty-eight people have been placed under investigation after more than 2,100 forged artworks were recovered. The authorities say the network could have caused 200 million euros, or $213 million, in economic damage by flooding the art market with fakes. Italy's Carabinieri art police said Monday fake artworks attributed to more than 30 famed artists were seized in raids in Italy, Spain and Belgium.
Megan Fox is expecting a baby with Machine Gun Kelly
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are expecting to grow their family. Fox announced her pregnancy in a social media post Monday. The actor appeared in a photo covered in black ink while holding her baby bump and another of pregnancy test that said, "Yes." Fox tagged her fiance's song "Last November" in the post. The couple spoke about experiencing a miscarriage more than a year ago. The couple announced their engagement in 2022.
Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy
Pop superstar Beyoncé and her expansive cultural legacy will be the subject of a new course next year at Yale University. The class is titled "Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music. The one-credit course will focus on the period from Beyoncé's 2013 self-titled album through this year's genre-defying "Cowboy Carter." Yale University's African American Studies Professor Daphne Brooks is leading the course. She said she plans to use the performer's wide-ranging repertoire as a portal for students to learn about Black intellectuals from the times of Frederick Douglass up to the present.
Harriet Tubman posthumously named a general in Veterans Day ceremony
CHURCH CREEK, Md. (AP) -- Revered abolitionist Harriet Tubman has been posthumously awarded the rank of general. Tubman was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war. Dozens gathered on Veterans Day at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Maryland's Dorcester County for a formal ceremony making Tubman a one-star brigadier general in the state's National Guard. Gov. Wes Moore called the occasion a great day for America. Tubman escaped slavery in 1849 and then established the Underground Railroad to help others enslaved. She went on to be a scout, spy and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War.
Too many wild deer are roaming England's forests. Can promoting venison to consumers help?
WINCHESTER, England (AP) -- There are now more deer in England than at any other time in the last 1,000 years. Hunters say culling them is a necessity because the population has dramatically multiplied, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. That's had a devastating impact on woodland and farms. Forestry experts and businesses say one solution is getting more people to eat venison. They call it a double win. It helps rebalance the ecosystem and provides a low-fat, sustainable protein. One food charity distributed hundreds of thousands of pouches of venison Bolognese meals to food banks last year and said people were hungry for more.
Tyreek Hill makes key TD catch, and the Dolphins hold off the Rams 23-15 to snap their 3-game skid
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Miami Dolphins snapped their three-game losing streak with a gritty 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Tyreek Hill caught a short touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa while playing through a wrist injury, and rookie Malik Washington rushed 18 yards for his first NFL touchdown on the opening possession of a much-needed turnaround game for the beleaguered Dolphins. Matthew Stafford passed for 293 yards and rookie Joshua Karty made five field goals for the Rams, whose three-game winning streak ended with a dramatic offensive regression. The Rams failed to score a TD for only the eighth time in coach Sean McVay's eight seasons.
Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
NEW YORK (AP) -- Celebrated jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson has died at the age of 98. Donaldson was known for his warm, fluid style and performed with everyone from Thelonius Monk to George Benson and was sampled by Nas, De La Soul and other hip-hop artists. Over more than half a century, he blended soul, blues and pop and achieved some mainstream recognition with his 1967 cover of one of the biggest hits of the time, "Ode to Billy Joe," featuring a young Benson on guitar. His notable albums included "Alligator Bogaloo," "Lou Donaldson at His Best" and "Wailing With Lou."
US regulators investigating whether engines on 1.4 million Hondas might fail
DETROIT (AP) -- U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that engines can fail on as many as 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles. The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers the 2016 through 2020 Honda Pilot and Acura MDX, as well as the 2018 through 2020 Honda Odyssey and Acura TLX. Also included is the 2017 through 2019 Honda Ridgeline. The agency says connecting rod bearings on vehicles with 3.5-liter V6 engines can fail, leading to complete engine failure. Honda recalled about 250,000 vehicles in 2023 to fix the same problem. But the agency says it has 173 complaints from owners who reported bearing failures, yet their vehicles weren't included in the recall. Honda said it will cooperate with NHTSA on the investigation.