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☆ Titanic’s Treasures Captivate Collectors, but They’ll Need Deep Pockets
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Tony Probst’s passion for the Titanic is unwavering. Since the mid-1990s, he has amassed hundreds of artifacts from the ship’s maiden voyage in 1912, including a lifeboat plaque, china, sheet music and an array of personal documents. “I believe I’m the only person on planet Earth who has every piece of paper for one individual to get on board Titanic,” Mr. Probst, 64, said proudly this week. His collection is sometimes on display at the audio and visual store he runs with his sons in the Bay Area of California, but it has also toured prominent spaces, including the National Geographic Museum in Washington; the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif.; and the Titanic museums in Branson, Mo., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Persons: Tony Probst’s, “, Mr, Probst, Ronald Reagan Organizations: National Geographic Museum, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Locations: Bay, California, Washington, Simi Valley, Calif, Branson, Mo, Pigeon Forge, Tenn

☆ Why David Beckham Is Suing Mark Wahlberg and F45 for Millions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The former English soccer star David Beckham is entangled in a court battle against F45, a popular global fitness brand co-owned by the actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg. Mr. Beckham claims that F45 failed to live up to its contractual agreement after he signed a promotional deal to help grow the brand in 2020 before its initial public offering. Now, Mr. Beckham claims that F45 failed to issue the “substantial cash and equity compensation” that was outlined in their original agreement. F45 entered into a promotional agreement with Mr. Beckham through his company DB Ventures Limited in 2020, according to court documents. In the years that followed, Mr. Beckham claims, F45 failed to follow through on at least two promises: transfer nearly one million shares of stock in a timely manner, and issue $5 million worth of additional shares.

Persons: David Beckham, Mark Wahlberg, Mr, Beckham, ” Mr Organizations: Mr, DB Ventures

☆ Columbia University to Hold Classes Remotely After Weekend Protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Columbia University announced early Monday that it would hold classes remotely after a wave of agitated protests on campus over the weekend that drew widespread attention from city and national officials and raised safety concerns for some Jewish students. She urged students who do not live on campus not to travel there. The campus has been embroiled in protests since last week. On Thursday, after the students refused to stand down, the New York police arrested more than 100 of them. In the coming days, a working group of deans, university administrators and faculty members will work to bring the crisis to a resolution, Dr. Shafik said.

Persons: Minouche Shafik, Shafik Organizations: Columbia University, Columbia, New York Locations: Columbia, Israel

☆ Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Building Partly Collapses in Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | Maya Tekeli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The old stock exchange building in downtown Copenhagen — one of the city’s oldest structures, known for its elaborate spire of intertwined dragon tails — partly collapsed in a large fire early Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, but images and video from social media showed flames on the structure’s roof and dark clouds of smoke lingering over the city.

Locations: Copenhagen

☆ Severe Weather Bringing Tornado Threat and Flooding to Gulf Coast
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Waves of intense weather were moving east on Wednesday, bringing flash flooding and tornadoes the New Orleans area and other parts of the central Gulf Coast, the National Weather Service said. The first tornado warnings have been issued for some rural areas, and more were expected through the morning. Forecasters warned that more than seven million people across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama could experience extreme weather through the day. The Weather Service issued more than a dozen tornado warnings and watches that covered towns from Texas to Mississippi. One of the more significant bulletins was a tornado watch issued for the southeastern portion of Louisiana north to Columbus, Miss., until the early afternoon.

Persons: There’s Organizations: National Weather Service, Weather Service Locations: Orleans, Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Louisiana , Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Columbus, Miss

☆ A Willy Wonka Event Ended in Disaster. From Its Ashes Rose a Budding Star.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

She introduced herself with the kind of bubbly energy and giddiness that only a teenager can radiate. That event, in Glasgow in late February, failed to create the dazzling experience it promised. The fallout — in true internet fashion — was swift and brutal. Organizers quickly shut down the event and promised full refunds to disgruntled families. In the aftermath, the internet latched on to one of the event’s more inexplicable characters, known only as “The Unknown,” played by Felicia.

Persons: Felicia Dawkins, Willy Wonka, ”, Felicia . Organizations: Organizers Locations: Scotland, Glasgow

☆ Germany’s Beloved Dachshund Could Be Threatened Under Breeding Bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Dachshunds, the German dog breed known for their distinctive long bodies and short legs, face an uncertain future if proposed changes to an animal protection law are approved, Germany’s kennel club said. A draft of the bill, from the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture, was published in February and aims to combat “torture breeding,” or breeding to produce animals with characteristics that will cause them to suffer, and to regulate the online trade of animals. However, the draft contains requirements that could end the breeding of certain dogs, such as the dachshund, according to a statement from the V.D.H., Germany’s kennel club. The bill lists various disease characteristics, like anomalies of the skeletal system, that would be outlawed. That could be interpreted as a ban on breeding animals with any significant size deviation from the “original wolf type,” the V.D.H.

Organizations: German Ministry of Food

PinnedA cargo ship struck a bridge that crosses outer Baltimore Harbor early Tuesday, triggering a collapse, the authorities said. The Coast Guard received a report of an impact at 1:27 a.m. Eastern time at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, said Matthew West, a petty officer first class for the Coast Guard in Baltimore. “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike,” the agency said on the social media site X. Officer West of the Coast Guard said that a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, the Dali, had hit the bridge. The bridge — named after Francis Scott Key, the author of the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” — opened in 1977.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Matthew West, Niki Fennoy, Brandon M, Scott, “, Dali, Grace Ocean, Scott’s, —, Derrick Bryson Taylor Organizations: Coast Guard, Baltimore Police, Fire Department, Maryland Transportation, Grace, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Port Administration, American Locations: Baltimore, ”, Singapore, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Maryland

But ship collision barriers are standard around the support piers of bridges over major waterways like the entrance to Baltimore’s harbor. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City, for example, has massive barriers of concrete and rocks around the bases of the piers that support it. It was not immediately clear how old the barriers are around the piers that supported the bridge in Baltimore. The bridge there was being fitted with devices designed to protect the piers in case of any ship crash. The bridge has massive barriers of concrete and rocks around the bases of the piers that support it and protect it from ship crashes.

Persons: Spencer Platt, Basil M, ”, “, Mr, Karatzas, Amy Chang Chien Organizations: Officials, China Central Television, Getty, Karatzas Marine Advisors Locations: Guangzhou, China, Baltimore, Baltimore’s, New York City, New York

☆ What Elon Musk Said in Testy Interview on Don Lemon’s New Show
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The interview was intended to be the debut episode of a new talk show in a partnership between Mr. Lemon and X, but Mr. Musk called off the deal a day after filming the hour-plus interview at Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. The first episode of “The Don Lemon Show” was streamed on YouTube and posted to Mr. Lemon’s account on X. In the interview, Mr. Musk said that earlier this month he was having breakfast at an unnamed friend’s home in Florida when Mr. Trump came by. Mr. Musk also said he would not loan Mr. Trump money to pay his legal bills.

Persons: Don Lemon’s, Elon Musk, Donald J, Trump, Musk’s, Lemon, Musk, Don Lemon Organizations: Elon, Mr, YouTube Locations: Austin , Texas, Florida

☆ Andrew Tate Is Arrested in Romania on U.K. Warrant, Spokesman Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Andrew Tate, the wealth-flaunting online influencer known for his misogynistic views, and his brother, Tristan, were taken into custody Monday night in Romania on a European arrest warrant issued by the British authorities, a spokesman for Mr. Tate said. The charges related to the arrest were made between 2012 and 2015 and include allegations of sexual aggression, the spokesman said. It is unclear which British force issued the warrant or why the case has been reopened. The Bucharest Court of Appeal in Romania is expected to make a decision Tuesday afternoon on whether to extradite the Tate brothers to Britain, the spokesman said. The spokesman said the brothers “categorically reject all charges and express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence.”

Persons: Andrew Tate, Tristan, Tate, “, ” Organizations: Crown, Service, Appeal Locations: Romania, Bucharest, Britain

☆ The British Royal Family: A Timeline of the Last Few Months
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For months, nearly all eyes have been fixated on the ebbs and flows of the British royal family, with King Charles III and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in the spotlight because of health matters. But as of late, the extended absence of Catherine, also known as Kate, from the public eye has propelled a tidal wave of rumors over her whereabouts, ultimately leaving the public still searching for answers. Here is a quick timeline of key moments to help you catch up. Dec. 25, 2023Kate makes her last public appearance. Kate’s last official public appearance was on Christmas Day, when she attended a church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England.

Persons: King Charles III, Catherine, Princess, Kate, Kate’s, Mary Magdalene Church Locations: Wales, St, Sandringham , Norfolk, England

☆ MH370 Disappeared a Decade Ago. Here’s What We Know Today.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was heading from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, to Beijing, when it deviated from its scheduled path, turning west across the Malay Peninsula. The plane, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people from 15 countries, is believed to have veered off course and flown south for several hours after radar contact was lost. Some officials believe it may have crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean after running out of fuel, but expansive search efforts over years have returned no answers, no victims, and no plane. The reason the plane went off course and its exact location today remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time. This week, officials suggested a renewed search operation might be undertaken.

Organizations: Malaysia Airlines, Boeing Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian, Beijing, Malay

Warnings in Ohio Wednesday morning after dramatic weather in Chicago on TuesdayAn early picture of the storms’ impact began to emerge as officials worked to assess damage and confirm tornadoes in several communities west of Chicago on Tuesday night. As the threat of severe weather moved east on Wednesday morning, more than 3 million people across Ohio and Kentucky were under a tornado watch. The Weather Service office in Wilmington, Ohio, issued a brief tornado warning for several counties in west central Ohio, advising that debris may fly in strong winds and that mobile homes could be damaged or destroyed. Tornado watches were also issued for Indiana until 6 a.m.

Organizations: Weather Service, Indiana Locations: Ohio, Chicago, Kentucky, Wilmington , Ohio

☆ ‘Mary Poppins’ Gets New Age Rating in Britain for Racist Language
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Mary Poppins” includes two uses of an offensive racial slur to describe an Indigenous group in South Africa. It is first heard when Admiral Boom asks Michael, a child, if he is going on an adventure to defeat said group. Admiral Boom repeats the slur during a chimney sweeps dance sequence when he shouts that he is being attacked. The film was originally rated “U,” for Universal, upon its release in 1964, and again in 2013 for a theatrical release, the B.B.F.C. When it was resubmitted in February for another theatrical release, it was reclassified as PG.

Persons: “ Mary Poppins, “ Mary Poppins ”, Admiral Boom, Michael Organizations: British, of, Universal Locations: Britain, South Africa

☆ Moving Pets Abroad Has Always Been Expensive. It’s About to Get Worse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Melissa Abell will do anything for her family, including making the kinds of financial sacrifices that most people would not consider. To help save for it, she is cutting a range of costs, including reducing bills, eliminating meals out and forgoing certain entertainment. Despite her efforts, Ms. Abell is worried that price tag may increase. The move is drawing ire and panic from pet owners with plans to relocate, particularly to and from Britain and the United States. The increase, which could triple or even quadruple costs for some travelers, may force some pet owners to choose between paying higher prices to relocate their pets or leaving them behind.

Persons: Melissa Abell, Abell Organizations: IAG Cargo Locations: Louisville, Ky, London, Britain, United States

☆ Universal Music Group Threatens to Remove Music From TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Ben Sisario | Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, said it would revoke the licenses for its vast catalog of songs from TikTok after its current contract expires on Wednesday if the two companies could not reach a new deal addressing Universal’s concerns over artist compensation, artificial intelligence and other issues. In an open letter posted late Tuesday, Universal accused TikTok of responding to its requests with “indifference, and then with intimidation,” creating a public squabble in the remaining hours of the two companies’ existing contract. If the talks fail, TikTok users would be unable to use music by Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, U2, Bad Bunny and thousands of other artists in their videos. The company says it is used by more than 150 million Americans. For a majority of TikTok users, music is an integral part of the experience, with songs — often comically sped up — playing over the short clips that fill users’ feeds.

Persons: TikTok, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Universal, ”, A.I Organizations: Universal Music Group, Universal

☆ Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Miami After ‘Engine Malfunction’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

An Atlas Air cargo plane headed for Puerto Rico was diverted Thursday night after taking off from Miami International Airport because of engine trouble, according to an official and flight data. Flight 5Y095 landed safely after experiencing an “engine malfunction” shortly after departure, Atlas Air said early Friday. “The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned” to the airport, the company said in a statement. “At Atlas, safety is always our top priority and we will be conducting a thorough inspection to determine the cause.”It was unclear what kind of cargo the plane was carrying. While the company did not state the aircraft type, data collected by FlightAware, a flight tracking company, showed it was a Boeing 747-8.

Persons: 5Y095, “, ”, FlightAware Organizations: Atlas Air, Miami International Airport, Boeing Locations: Puerto Rico

☆ 3 Killed in Oregon as Northwest Braces for More Freezing Rain, Ice and Snow
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | Orlando Mayorquin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Three people were killed when a power line fell on a car in Portland, Ore., Wednesday morning as parts of the Northwest continued to suffer from a brutal weather pattern this week, officials said. In one fatal episode, Rick Graves, a spokesman for Portland Fire and Rescue, said that a tree branch had knocked the power line onto an S.U.V. in Portland. The three occupants who died, two adults and a teenager, are believed to have been electrocuted when they got out of the vehicle, the spokesman said. A baby who had been in the vehicle survived, and was taken to the hospital for evaluation, he added.

Persons: Rick Graves Organizations: Portland Fire Locations: Portland ,, Portland

☆ Why You Love (or Love to Hate) Christmas Music
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“There are a lot of people who, when Christmas time comes around, they just want to run home and put their head under the covers and wait it all out,” Mr. Levitin said. Christmas music, like all forms of music, is powerful. But this genre is perhaps more potent than other forms of music because the holiday season itself is emotionally charged. “For some of us, that’s an inspiring message,” Mr. Levitin said. Then, stories of Jesus were woven into carols, which were still sung in communal settings, even across class divides.

Persons: ” Mr, Levitin, that’s, Mr, “, Alisa Clapp, Jesus ’, Jesus, ”, Clapp, Itnyre Organizations: Indiana University East, Salvation Army

☆ Woman Killed in Belgium 31 Years Ago Is Identified by Her Flower Tattoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A British woman who was killed in Belgium 31 years ago was identified this week thanks to an international campaign that began earlier this year to identify nearly two dozen women who were found dead across Europe, officials said. The case dates to June 1992, when the body of a woman, given the nickname “the woman with the flower tattoo” by investigators, was found pushed against a grate in a river in Belgium. She appeared to have been killed violently, according to details released this spring by the International Criminal Police Organization, also known as Interpol. The woman’s most identifiable feature was a flower tattoo with “R’Nick” written underneath. At the time, the authorities had hoped her tattoo would jog someone’s memory.

Organizations: International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol Locations: Belgium, Europe

☆ A First-Class Dinner Menu from the Titanic Could Fetch Thousands at Auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There were oysters, salmon with Hollandaise sauce, beef, squab, duck, roast chicken, green peas, parsnip purée and Victoria pudding. The feast described is not a Thanksgiving meal, but a snapshot of what first-class passengers on the Titanic ate for dinner on April 11, 1912, when the ship left Queenstown, Ireland, for New York. A menu from that night, with an embossed red White Star Line flag at the top and signs of water damage, will go up for auction on Saturday at Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd in southwest England. It is expected to sell for up to 70,000 pounds, or about $86,000. The auction will include hundreds of other maritime items, including a White Star Line tartan blanket that was recovered from a Titanic lifeboat and a pocket watch owned by a second-class passenger, a Russian immigrant, who did not survive the sinking.

Persons: purée, Henry Aldridge, Andrew Aldridge Organizations: Star, Henry Aldridge & Son, White Locations: Victoria, Queenstown, Ireland, New York, England, Russian

If he drowned, it would be important to know why, she said. Test results can take weeks because of a lack of qualified toxicologists, funding and equipment, Dr. Melinek said. If the water was hot but not scalding, she said, it could lead to heat exhaustion and dehydration, which can cause a person to drown. “It’s appropriate for it to take long,” Dr. Melinek said in an interview on Monday. Those tests, he said, can take weeks to complete.

Persons: Melinek, ” Dr, James Gill, ”

☆ Is It Time to Give Candy Corn the Respect It Deserves?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Derrick Bryson Taylor | More About Derrick Bryson Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sitting in her Wiggins, Miss., home one fall afternoon, Wanda King began counting all of the candy corn flavors she has collected over the years. There is sea salt chocolate, caramel, peppermint, cookies, Starburst, Sour Patch Kids, apple pie, pumpkin pie, s’mores and three separate coffee flavors. Some are holiday themed, like eggnog and witch’s teeth, which are off white with green tips. “It is the ultimate survival sugar rush,” she said, noting that she’d recently checked the freshness of a batch from 2017. “Candy corn don’t go bad.

Persons: Wiggins, Wanda King, King, ”, she’d, It’ll Locations: Miss, Mason

Hurricane Otis exploded onto the southwest coast of Mexico early Wednesday, shocking forecasters as it emerged as one of the more powerful Category 5 storms to batter the region and create what one expert called a “nightmare scenario” for a popular tourist coastline. Few meteorologists initially thought the tropical storm would make landfall as a catastrophic hurricane. Most models failed to predict that the storm would intensify over the Pacific Ocean, leading forecasters to believe it would be at most a weak hurricane. But it strengthened with remarkable speed, and by Tuesday evening forecasters and Mexican officials were rushing to warn residents of its potential for destruction. The storm slammed ashore with sustained winds of 165 miles per hour; just a day earlier, Otis brought winds of 65 miles per hour.

Persons: Otis Organizations: Otis Locations: Mexico, Guerrero, Oaxaca

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