A 24-year-old Australian fitness competitor powered through a severe bout of diarrhea during a Hyrox race in Beijing, crossing the finish line in first place while fecal matter streamed down her legs, and now the organization says it should have stopped her. Joanna Wietrzyk lost control of her bowels mid-race during a Hyrox competition in […] The post Hyrox athlete competes through fecal incontinence, wins first place — and organizers admit they failed to act appeared first on American Almanac .
A 24-year-old Australian fitness competitor powered through a severe bout of diarrhea during a Hyrox race in Beijing, crossing the finish line in first place while fecal matter streamed down her legs, and now the organization says it should have stopped her. Joanna Wietrzyk lost control of her bowels mid-race during a Hyrox competition in Beijing over the weekend, and rather than withdraw, she kept running, rowing, and lunging her way through the course. She won. Fecal matter smeared across equipment and the track surface. Several other athletes fell. Staff eventually cordoned off sections of the venue and spent the rest of the day disinfecting, removing contaminated equipment, and arranging to replace the carpet, but only after the…Open
A former researcher at two of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies resigned and publicly warned that the people building AI believe it could kill everyone on Earth by the end of the decade, a claim his former colleague at Anthropic promptly confirmed. Jacob Coxon, who worked at both OpenAI and Anthropic before quitting Anthropic […] The post AI insiders warn the technology could end humanity by 2030 — and some see Nostradamus coming along for the ride appeared first on American Almanac .
A former researcher at two of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies resigned and publicly warned that the people building AI believe it could kill everyone on Earth by the end of the decade, a claim his former colleague at Anthropic promptly confirmed. Jacob Coxon, who worked at both OpenAI and Anthropic before quitting Anthropic this month, posted a blunt warning on X on September 9. He did not couch it in academic hedging or corporate jargon. He said the engineers and scientists racing to build the most powerful AI systems on the planet genuinely believe those systems could wipe out the human race, and that nobody in charge is doing enough to stop it. The warning landed hard because of what followed. A day after Coxon's…Open
A team of volunteer divers has located and photographed roughly 25 flint-built features on the seabed off Norfolk, England, remnants of a medieval settlement called Shipden that the North Sea consumed more than 700 years ago. The divers, members of the Anglian branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, launched from the coastal village of Sea […] The post Volunteer divers photograph 25 man-made structures at site of medieval English town swallowed by the North Sea appeared first on American Almanac .
A team of volunteer divers has located and photographed roughly 25 flint-built features on the seabed off Norfolk, England, remnants of a medieval settlement called Shipden that the North Sea consumed more than 700 years ago. The divers, members of the Anglian branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, launched from the coastal village of Sea Palling and traveled along the shore to Cromer, where they found the structures sitting several hundred metres from the beach. Clear skies and unusually still water exposed the chalk and sand of the seabed, giving the team a rare window to document what lies beneath one of England's most eroded coastlines. What they found challenges a local legend that has persisted for more than a century, and opens new…Open
Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O'Day alleges two prominent recording artists offered her $50,000 and $150,000 for sex while she tried to launch a solo career, claims that surface amid broader scrutiny of the music industry's treatment of women. O'Day made the allegations during a September 3 appearance on the "Creators Inc." podcast, hosted by […] The post Aubrey O'Day claims unnamed music stars offered her tens of thousands of dollars for sex appeared first on American Almanac .
Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O'Day alleges two prominent recording artists offered her $50,000 and $150,000 for sex while she tried to launch a solo career, claims that surface amid broader scrutiny of the music industry's treatment of women. O'Day made the allegations during a September 3 appearance on the "Creators Inc." podcast, hosted by Andrew Bachman. She did not name either artist but described one as "a very huge star that's on tour right now and probably one of your favorite artists ever." The second, she said, is currently touring alongside two other well-known men. Both offers, she said, came through her manager at the time. The claims add another layer to a pattern O'Day has described publicly for years, one in which…Open
A 27-year-old Lakeland, Florida, man faces eleven criminal charges, including two felony counts of negligent child abuse, after police say he crashed his car while intoxicated, then dragged his two young children into a swamp in the dark. Isaac Kinsey allegedly slammed his vehicle into a street sign during the early hours of a recent […] The post Florida father charged with felony child abuse after allegedly crashing car, fleeing into alligator swamp with baby and toddler appeared first on American Almanac .
A 27-year-old Lakeland, Florida, man faces eleven criminal charges, including two felony counts of negligent child abuse, after police say he crashed his car while intoxicated, then dragged his two young children into a swamp in the dark. Isaac Kinsey allegedly slammed his vehicle into a street sign during the early hours of a recent Wednesday, then bolted on foot toward a nearby marsh while carrying his two-year-old and his 10-month-old baby. Lakeland Police Department officers arrived at the crash scene, spotted child safety seats inside the wrecked car, and launched an immediate search through dense, swampy terrain that locals regard as alligator habitat. Drone footage and officer bodycam video captured what happened next. Kinsey…Open
Sally Field became the oldest actress ever to win the lead Emmy in the limited series category on Sunday night, and used her acceptance speech to push back against Hollywood's consolidation wave. Field, 79, took the stage after winning lead actress in a limited or anthology series or TV movie for her role as Tova […] The post Sally Field, 79, sets Emmy record and uses acceptance speech to take aim at studio mergers appeared first on American Almanac .
Sally Field became the oldest actress ever to win the lead Emmy in the limited series category on Sunday night, and used her acceptance speech to push back against Hollywood's consolidation wave. Field, 79, took the stage after winning lead actress in a limited or anthology series or TV movie for her role as Tova Sullivan in the Netflix film "Remarkably Bright Creatures." She beat out Carey Mulligan ("Beef"), Sarah Pidgeon (who also starred in "Remarkably Bright Creatures"), Claire Danes ("The Beast in Me"), and Sarah Snook ("All Her Fault") for the trophy, her fourth Emmy in a career spanning more than six decades. The win edged out a record held by Jessica Tandy, who won in the same category for "Foxfire" in 1987. Field surpassed…Open
Former President Barack Obama announced the death of Sunny, the family's second Portuguese Water Dog, at age 13, closing a chapter that began with a campaign promise to his young daughters back in 2008. Obama posted a tribute on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing photos of Sunny running outside the White House, sitting in bed alongside […] The post Obama family says goodbye to Sunny, their Portuguese Water Dog of thirteen years appeared first on American Almanac .
Former President Barack Obama announced the death of Sunny, the family's second Portuguese Water Dog, at age 13, closing a chapter that began with a campaign promise to his young daughters back in 2008. Obama posted a tribute on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing photos of Sunny running outside the White House, sitting in bed alongside a stuffed animal, covered in sand at the beach, and meeting Pope Francis in 2015. The former president called the dog a "force of nature" and said the family would "miss her terribly." Sunny's death follows that of Bo, the Obamas' first dog, who died at age 12 in 2021. Obama referenced Bo in his farewell post, writing that the family imagines Sunny "is with her big brother now, making sure he's okay." A…Open
Michael J. Fox brought the Emmy Awards audience to its feet Monday night when he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award and delivered a speech about refusing to surrender to Parkinson's disease. Fox, a five-time Emmy winner best known for "Family Ties" and the "Back to the Future" films, took the stage after an introduction […] The post Michael J. Fox accepts Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at Emmys with a speech about fighting Parkinson's disease appeared first on American Almanac .
Michael J. Fox brought the Emmy Awards audience to its feet Monday night when he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award and delivered a speech about refusing to surrender to Parkinson's disease. Fox, a five-time Emmy winner best known for "Family Ties" and the "Back to the Future" films, took the stage after an introduction by actress Julianna Margulies, his former co-star on "The Good Wife." The moment carried weight well beyond the usual awards-show tribute. Fox has lived with Parkinson's disease since disclosing his diagnosis in 1991, when he was just 29 years old. In the decades since, he built one of the most recognized disease-research organizations in the country, and Monday's honor put that work in front of a national television…Open
Three House committee chairmen released an investigative update alleging that the Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue deliberately loosened its fraud-prevention standards in 2024 and then concealed evidence of illegal foreign contributions from Congress. The joint report from the House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight committees draws on ActBlue's own internal documents, staff memos, supervisor communications, and training […] The post House Republicans accuse ActBlue of weakening fraud safeguards and accepting illegal foreign donations appeared first on American Almanac .
Three House committee chairmen released an investigative update alleging that the Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue deliberately loosened its fraud-prevention standards in 2024 and then concealed evidence of illegal foreign contributions from Congress. The joint report from the House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight committees draws on ActBlue's own internal documents, staff memos, supervisor communications, and training materials, to build a case that the platform chose to accept more suspect donations even after its own analysts warned the changes would increase fraud. The committees are chaired by Reps. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and James Comer of Kentucky, all Republicans. ActBlue, the primary online…Open
Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman who served as Nicolás Maduro's top financial operative, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to launder money in a Miami federal court, nearly three years after the Biden administration pardoned him and sent him back to Venezuela. Saab, 54, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. He agreed […] The post Maduro's financial fixer Alex Saab pleads guilty to money laundering after Biden pardon let him walk free appeared first on American Almanac .
Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman who served as Nicolás Maduro's top financial operative, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to launder money in a Miami federal court, nearly three years after the Biden administration pardoned him and sent him back to Venezuela. Saab, 54, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. He agreed to forfeit $195 million and cooperate with the Department of Justice as part of the deal. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison, with a sentencing date still to be set. The plea caps a seven-year saga that spans a 2019 indictment, an arrest in Cape Verde, a presidential pardon, a hero's welcome in Caracas, and a second indictment secured in January 2026, all before federal prosecutors…Open