An alligator kills a Florida woman after tipping over her canoe, investigators say

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — An alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, which investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the attack happened Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek at Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando. Investigators said at a news conference Wednesday that the couple was canoeing in about 2.5 feet of water when they came upon a large alligator. The startled animal thrashed suddenly, tipping over the canoe and sending both people into the water. The woman was identified as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida.

Actor Michael Pitt charged with sex abuse, assault of ex-girlfriend in New York

Actor Michael Pitt has been indicted on allegations of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, choking her, and attacking her with a cinder block and a piece of lumber in separate incidents at his New York City home. He was arrested Friday and pleaded not guilty to nine counts, including first-degree sexual abuse, assault and strangulation. A grand jury indictment cites four incidents between April 2020 and August 2021 at Pitt’s home in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. Pitt’s lawyer, Jason Goldman, calls the allegations baseless and says he expects the case to be dismissed. Pitt is best known for his TV roles on “Boardwalk Empire” and “Dawson’s Creek.”

Baby seal stabbed on Oregon coast prompts search for suspect

NESKOWIN, Ore. (AP) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it is searching for the person who stabbed a baby seal multiple times on a beach in Oregon. NOAA said the seal survived the March attack in a cove in the small town of Neskowin, which sits along the Pacific Ocean. The agency’s marine stranding team was able to help it relocate after monitoring and evaluating the animal. The agency’s law enforcement office is investigating the attack and searching for a “person of interest.” The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassing, harming, killing or feeding wild elephant seals and other marine mammals.

The Steelers move on from George Pickens by trading mercurial receiver to Cowboys

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have run out of patience with wide receiver George Pickens. The team has agreed on a trade that sends the talented but mercurial 24-year-old to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers will get a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a fifth-rounder in 2027. The Cowboys get a sixth-round choice in two years. Pickens has spent his first three seasons in the NFL being equal parts productive and petulant, mixing highlight-reel catches with bouts of immaturity along the way. Pickens joins a Cowboys offense that could use another downfield threat to pair with star CeeDee Lamb.

Disney parks thrive in second quarter and company adds 1.4 million new streaming subscribers

Disney posted solid profits and revenue in the second quarter as its domestic theme parks thrived and the company added well over a million subscribers to its streaming service. For the three months ended March 30, Disney earned $3.28 billion, swinging back from a $20 million loss last year. The entertainment company easily topped Wall Street expectations. Disney also announced Wednesday that it will build a seventh theme park in Abu Dhabi. The waterfront resort will be built and run by the local developer Miral, with Disney licensing its intellectual property for the project and providing development and management services.

Smokey Robinson accused by former housekeepers of sexual assault and rape

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four former housekeepers of Smokey Robinson allege in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Motown music luminary repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped them while they worked for him. The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks at least $50 million in damages over the alleged assaults, which the women say took place between 2007 and 2024, A message seeking comment from a representative for the 85-year-old Robinson was not immediately returned. The four women each say that Robinson would wait until he was alone with them in his Los Angeles house then sexually assault and rape them over their objections and protests.

Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya given $7,700 fine or 1-year prison sentence

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya have been fined $7,700 or the option to serve 12 months in prison — the minimum penalty for the offense — for violating wildlife conservation laws.  The teenagers were found with the ants, which authorities said were destined for European and Asian markets in an emerging trend of trafficking lesser-known wildlife species. Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19 years old, were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house in Nakuru county, which is home to various national parks. The teenagers’ lawyer described the sentencing as “fair” and said her clients would not appeal.

Man arrested after ramming car into front gate of Jennifer Aniston's Los Angeles home

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a man was arrested after crashing a car into the front gate at Jennifer Aniston’s home in Los Angeles. LA police say the incident occurred around 12:20 p.m. Monday on the 900 Block of Airole Way in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood. Private security guards apprehended the driver and held him until police arrived. He has not been identified, and no charges had been filed as of Tuesday morning. Police tell KABC-TV that the “Friends” star was home at the time. Messages were left Tuesday with representatives and attorneys for Aniston.

One Tech Tip: Skype shut down for good, but users still have these alternatives

LONDON (AP) — Skype users are scrambling to find an alternative after Microsoft shut down the pioneering internet phone service which let people make cheap long distance calls and chat with other users. Google Voice lets users make calls from a smartphone or a desktop web browser but it's only available to people in the U.S. Viber users can call phone numbers but can't get a number to receive calls. Zoom offers phone options too. You could get a number from a low cost virtual carrier or try other internet phone services. Microsoft says some Skype features will migrate to Teams, but its Teams Phone feature is only for businesses.

DoorDash rings up record first-quarter revenue and expands delivery reach through acquisitions

DoorDash is reporting record quarterly revenue even as more Americans feel increasingly uneasy about the U.S. economy.  Total orders climbed 18% to 732 million, also quarterly record. And the San Francisco company announced a pair of acquisitions as well Tuesday. Late last month, London-based food delivery service Deliveroo said it received a $3.6 billion takeover offer from DoorDash. And on Tuesday, DoorDash said it has purchased SevenRooms, a New York company that makes hospitality management software, for $1.2 billion in cash.