A geologist conducting routine field surveys in a San Mateo County preserve stumbled onto a fossilized Pacific mastodon molar in "immaculate condition", a find paleontologists are calling the most complete specimen ever recovered from the region. Brigid Lynch discovered the tooth partially submerged in a wooded creek bed while working on a California red-legged frog […] The post Fossilized mastodon tooth surfaces in California creek bed, stunning paleontologists appeared first on American Almanac .
A geologist conducting routine field surveys in a San Mateo County preserve stumbled onto a fossilized Pacific mastodon molar in "immaculate condition", a find paleontologists are calling the most complete specimen ever recovered from the region. Brigid Lynch discovered the tooth partially submerged in a wooded creek bed while working on a California red-legged frog habitat restoration project in a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She initially thought it was an oddly shaped rock. It was not. Paleontologists later confirmed the fossil was an intact upper left third molar from an adult Pacific mastodon, ABC News reported . The tooth measures roughly 8.5 inches long, 7 inches deep, and 3…Open
A 13-year veteran of the Albany County Sheriff's Office faces two misdemeanor charges after investigators say she ran her ex-girlfriend's license plate through a surveillance camera system nearly 3,000 times over more than a year, all without a single legitimate case behind it. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple announced the arrest of senior investigator Laurie […] The post Albany sheriff's investigator charged with using Flock camera to stalk ex-girlfriend nearly 3,000 times appeared first on American Almanac .
A 13-year veteran of the Albany County Sheriff's Office faces two misdemeanor charges after investigators say she ran her ex-girlfriend's license plate through a surveillance camera system nearly 3,000 times over more than a year, all without a single legitimate case behind it. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple announced the arrest of senior investigator Laurie Moore, 47, at a Wednesday press conference, flanked by District Attorney Lee Kindlon. Moore is charged with second-degree falsifying business records and official misconduct. She has been suspended indefinitely, and a court date is set for September 24. ABC News reported that attorney information for Moore was not immediately available. The sheriff's office says Moore didn't…Open
President Trump drew cheers and local support during his weekend visit to Doonbeg, Ireland, for the Irish Open, but a years-long planning fight over tiny protected snails continues to block expansion of his golf resort. Trump spent much of Saturday and Sunday at Trump International Golf Links, the resort his organization purchased in 2014 when […] The post Doonbeg residents rally behind Trump's Irish golf resort as protected snails stall ballroom plans appeared first on American Almanac .
President Trump drew cheers and local support during his weekend visit to Doonbeg, Ireland, for the Irish Open, but a years-long planning fight over tiny protected snails continues to block expansion of his golf resort. Trump spent much of Saturday and Sunday at Trump International Golf Links, the resort his organization purchased in 2014 when the property was financially struggling. The course, stretching 400 acres along 1.5 miles of beach on County Clare's Atlantic coast, hosted the Irish Open this year, and the golf crowd cheered as the president walked out to take in the tournament. Hundreds of police officers were deployed across the small village, roughly 175 miles west of Dublin, while scores of protesters gathered nearby. But…Open
Three NPR television critics published their preferred Emmy winners days before Monday's ceremony, and their picks lean heavily toward Apple TV and away from the shows that actually dominated this year's nominations. The 2026 Emmy race has been defined by a handful of heavyweights. The Pitt, Hacks, Widow's Bay, and Pluribus lead the nominations pack. […] The post NPR critics bypass frontrunners, pick streaming underdogs for Emmy night appeared first on American Almanac .
Three NPR television critics published their preferred Emmy winners days before Monday's ceremony, and their picks lean heavily toward Apple TV and away from the shows that actually dominated this year's nominations. The 2026 Emmy race has been defined by a handful of heavyweights. The Pitt, Hacks, Widow's Bay, and Pluribus lead the nominations pack. But in a preview published Saturday , NPR critics Glen Weldon, Aisha Harris, and Eric Deggans staked out positions that favor smaller, quirkier fare, the kind of shows public-radio audiences already watch. That pattern tells you something about where the cultural gatekeepers sit, and how far their taste runs from the broad middle of the television audience. Apple TV dominates NPR's wish…Open
The creators of "South Park" announced they are temporarily renaming their long-running animated series "South America", a satirical swipe at President Trump's geographic renaming orders and the tech companies that rushed to comply. Trey Parker and Matt Stone posted the announcement on the show's official social media accounts just one week before the 29th season […] The post Trey Parker and Matt Stone rebrand 'South Park' as 'South America' to mock Trump's renaming push appeared first on American Almanac .
The creators of "South Park" announced they are temporarily renaming their long-running animated series "South America", a satirical swipe at President Trump's geographic renaming orders and the tech companies that rushed to comply. Trey Parker and Matt Stone posted the announcement on the show's official social media accounts just one week before the 29th season premiere, calling out Apple and Google by name for adopting Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on their mapping platforms. The statement also took a shot at their own parent company, Paramount, over its merger with Skydance. The full statement, reported by the Associated Press , read: "Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we…Open
A peer-reviewed study from the German Aerospace Center reports that Mercury has lost up to 14 miles of diameter over its lifetime, roughly 30 percent more contraction than scientists previously measured. Researchers led by Gaku Nishiyama, a planetary scientist affiliated with Hokkaido University in Japan, compared maps of geologic faults and contraction features against surface […] The post Mercury is shrinking faster than anyone realized, new study finds appeared first on American Almanac .
A peer-reviewed study from the German Aerospace Center reports that Mercury has lost up to 14 miles of diameter over its lifetime, roughly 30 percent more contraction than scientists previously measured. Researchers led by Gaku Nishiyama, a planetary scientist affiliated with Hokkaido University in Japan, compared maps of geologic faults and contraction features against surface roughness data built from NASA's Messenger spacecraft imagery . What they found was straightforward: the roughest patches of Mercury's battered surface showed far fewer of the wrinkle-like ridges that signal planetary shrinkage. The reason, the team concluded, is that billions of years of asteroid and comet impacts buried those ridges under debris, hiding the true…Open
Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have captured a strategic island at the mouth of the Red Sea, a move that hands Tehran-linked forces potential leverage over one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints, and puts Washington in a bind. Houthi fighters took control of Mayun island, which sits inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the […] The post Iran-backed Houthis seize strategic Red Sea island, threatening global oil shipments appeared first on American Almanac .
Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have captured a strategic island at the mouth of the Red Sea, a move that hands Tehran-linked forces potential leverage over one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints, and puts Washington in a bind. Houthi fighters took control of Mayun island, which sits inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. A senior military official with Yemen's internationally recognized government confirmed the seizure, as did a Houthi official. The capture came alongside Houthi gains on the mainland, including the port city of Mokha, where rebels also seized a compound that had housed United Nations staff. The strait is no minor waterway. Roughly 12 percent of the world's goods…Open
Roughly five million Americans have lost access to federal food assistance since the Republican-backed budget bill became law, and a looming October 1 cost shift threatens to push states into even deeper cuts just as Congress returns from recess. The scale of the drop caught even Washington's budget forecasters off guard. The Center on Budget […] The post Five million Americans lost SNAP benefits after H.R. 1 — and states face a new cost cliff in weeks appeared first on American Almanac .
Roughly five million Americans have lost access to federal food assistance since the Republican-backed budget bill became law, and a looming October 1 cost shift threatens to push states into even deeper cuts just as Congress returns from recess. The scale of the drop caught even Washington's budget forecasters off guard. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that SNAP participation has fallen far faster and far deeper than the Congressional Budget Office projected when H.R. 1, the sprawling legislation known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill", was enacted. More than 1.5 million of those who lost access are children, ABC News reported . Starting October 1, states must cover 75 percent of SNAP administrative costs, expenses the…Open