Year after the slap, Chris Rock punches back in new special
A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he “took that hit like Pacquiao.” The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year’s Oscars. “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix’s first foray into live streaming. Near the start of Rock’s set, he joked: “Anybody who says words hurt hasn’t been punched in the face.”
Latest Ohio derailment poses no public risk, officials say
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Authorities in Ohio say there is no indication of any risk to public health from the derailment of a Norfolk Southern cargo train between Dayton and Columbus, the second derailment of a company train in the state in a month. Norfolk Southern said 28 of the 212 cars on the southbound train, including two empty tanker cars, derailed shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday in Springfield Township near a business park and the county fairgrounds. Residents living within 1,000 feet were asked to shelter in place as a precaution, but officials early Sunday said there was “no indication of any injuries or risk to public health at this time.”
Recycling lake litter, Ugandan makes innovative tourist boat
LUZIRA, Uganda (AP) — Africa’s Lake Victoria is plagued by pollution and a decline in water levels partly due to climate change. Layers of plastic waste float near some beaches during the rainy season. The visible sign of pollution is a worry for fishing communities that depend heavily on the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. Former tour guide James Kateeba responded to the pollution by building a boat that uses recycled plastic bottles to moor it. His boat, Floating Island, has become a tourist attraction where visitors can enjoy meals and views of the lake. A similar project was launched in 2018 on the beaches of Kenya.
Judy Heumann, disability rights activist, dies at age 75
Judy Heumann, a renowned activist who helped secure legislation protecting the rights of disabled people, has died at age 75. News of her death Saturday in Washington, D.C., was shared on her website and social media accounts. Heumann, who lost her ability to walk at age 2 after contracting polio, has been called the mother of the disability rights movement for her longtime advocacy on behalf of disabled people through protests and legal action. She lobbied for legislation that eventually led to the the Americans with Disabilities Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act. She served as the assistant secretary of the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services from 1993 to 2001.
‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ actor Ricou Browning dies
Ricou Browning, best known for playing the Gill Man in the 1954 monster movie “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” has died. His family told news outlets Browning died Feb. 27 at his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida. He was 93. Browning collaborated on the 1963 original movie “Flipper,” which later became a popular TV series. He told the Ocala Star Banner newspaper in 2013 that he came up with the story idea after a trip to South America to capture fresh-water dolphins in the Amazon river. He said he could hold his breath for minutes underwater, helping him play Gill Man in the swimming scenes. Other actors played the creature on land.
Phil Batt, onion farmer who rose to Idaho governor, dies
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Former Idaho Governor Phil Batt died at home on Saturday. He was 96 years old. Batt rose from being a farmer to the state’s top office in 1994 when he was elected as Idaho’s first Republican governor in 28 years. He also served in the state Legislature and as lieutenant governor. Throughout his time in politics, Batt supported human rights, including establishing a state commission for the cause and labor rights for farmworkers. His legacy includes having forged an agreement with the federal government that is generally seen as preventing Idaho from becoming a high-level nuclear waste dump. Gov. Brad Little announced Batt’s death Saturday.
University of Massachusetts warns of TikTok drinking trend
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — The University of Massachusetts is warning about a TikTok trend after 28 ambulances were summoned to off-campus parties. Officials said students were observed Saturday carrying jugs with a mixture of alcohol, electrolytes and water, dubbed “blackout rage gallons,” or “BORGs,” in a binge-drinking trend gaining traction on TikTok. Officials said there were so many calls for ambulances for student alcohol intoxication that neighboring agencies stepped in to help. The Amherst Fire Department said none of the cases were life-threatening.
Jon Jones returns to win UFC heavyweight title in 1st round
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jon Jones ended a three-year sabbatical from the UFC, moved up to its highest weight class and emphatically won the heavyweight belt Saturday night with a first-round submission over Ciryl Gane. The 35-year-old Jones took Gane to the mat just a little more into the round, and won with a guillotine choke at 2:04 in UFC 285. For Jones, this was his first fight in three years and his first in the heavyweight division. The former light heavyweight champion is regarded as UFC’s greatest fighter.
Army boss’ mission: Persuade schools to welcome recruiters
CHICAGO (AP) — Army recruiters are struggling to meet enlistment goals, and they say one of their biggest hurdles is getting back into high schools so they can meet students one on one. Recruiters received a recent boost from the Army secretary, who spent a few days in Chicago meeting with students, school leaders, college heads, recruiters and an array of young people involved in ROTC or junior ROTC programs. Secretary Christine Wormuth kept asking what can the Army do to better reach young people and sell itself as a good career choice. The Army just had its worst recruiting year in recent history. It’s up to Wormuth and other Army leaders to find creative new ways to attract recruits.
A box office K.O.: ‘Creed III’ debuts to $58.7 million
“Creed III” punched above its weight at the domestic box office in its first weekend in theaters. The MGM release knocked “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” out of first place and far surpassed both industry expectations and the opening weekends of the first two movies in the franchise. Playing in 4,007 locations in North America, “Creed III” earned an estimated $58.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Ant-Man” landed in a distant second, while “Cocaine Bear” took third place in its second weekend in theaters, followed by “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village” in fourth and “Jesus Revolution” in fifth.
