'Weapons' maintains top spot in second weekend, scaring off newcomer 'Nobody 2'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Weapons” scared its way to the top during its debut last weekend and stayed there, beating out “Freakier Friday” for a second time and the newcomer action movie “Nobody 2.” Zach Cregger's horror earned $25 million in 3,450 North American theaters, a 43% drop from its first weekend. The film benefited from strong audience reviews and social media trends to attract large crowds. Paul Dergarabedian is senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. He says this summer is unlikely to hit the $4 billion benchmark but has provided moviegoers a dynamic and diverse slate of movies.

A massive mountain park in Vermont celebrates the bond between dogs and their humans

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) — Set on 150 acres tucked away on a hillside in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Dog Mountain has become a destination for dog lovers looking to explore nature, take in art, or pay tribute to a pet. The park was created 25 years ago by Vermont folk artist Stephen Huneck and his wife Gwen. It features hiking trails, swimming ponds, an art gallery and a Dog Chapel where visitors can add to the thousands of photos and notes to pets that cover the chapel walls. Gallery Manager Pam McCann says Huneck was inspired by the bond he shared with his dogs and wanted to create a space where other animal lovers could celebrate their beloved pets.

Arsenal wins 1-0 at Man United as Chelsea held by Palace in Premier League

Arsenal has kept at bay Manchester United’s expensively assembled forward line and scored again from a set piece to win 1-0 in the marquee match in the opening round of the Premier League. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori nodded in from close range in the 13th minute after United goalkeeper Altay Bayındır flapped at a corner. Arsenal followed likely title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in claiming an opening-weekend victory. United fell to a loss that is all-to-familiar under Ruben Amorim despite spending around $270 million) on revamping its attack in the offseason. Chelsea was held 0-0 by Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest beat Brentford 3-1.

Chimaev wins UFC middleweight belt by unanimous decision

CHICAGO (AP) — Khamzat Chimaev continued his dominance in the UFC, capturing the middleweight belt by defeating  Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319. With a smile on his face, Chimaev (15-0) shot out of his corner in the first round with a takedown of Du Plessis (23-3) in the opening seconds and had Du Plessis on his back for almost the entire first round. Despite the ground control by Chimaev, Du Plessis was able to avoid significant damage in the first round. All three judges scored the fight 50-44.

Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty takes a hit, then delivers one in 22-19 loss to the 49ers

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty proved he could deliver hits and absorb them at the NFL level. He rushed for a bruising 33 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in Las Vegas’ 22-19 preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Jake Moody made a 59-yard field goal as time expired for the 49ers. He also converted a 44-yarder with 37 seconds remaining to tie the game, and then Jaylen Mahoney intercepted Raiders quarterback Cam Miller to set up the winner. Moody made 5 of 6 field goals while Daniel Carlson made all four of his tries for the Raiders.

K.J. Henry's pick-6 leads Browns to win over Eagles in preseason game with Shedeur Sanders sidelined

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Cleveland Browns secured a 22-13 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The decisive play came from K.J. Henry, who returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Saturday's game saw most regular starters sitting out, including Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley for the Eagles and Myles Garrett and Jerry Jeudy for the Browns. Andrew Mukuba and Jihaad Campbell, top draft picks for the Eagles, made impressive defensive plays. Cleveland's Shedeur Sanders, injured earlier in the week, didn't play. The Browns will host the Rams next while the Eagles face the Jets.

Top accessory this year at the Little League World Series? A bat that looks like sour gummy worms

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — It’s not an ice-cream cone. It’s not an Italian rainbow cookie. It’s the baseball bat being used at the Little League World Series. Easton’s 2026 Hype Fire USA Bat with the neon green grip and pink-and-neon yellow barrel is hard to miss at the plate. And the players love them. They get the bat when they first arrive at the Little League compound in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania manager Michael Shaw says he left it up to the players which bats they wanted to use. He says, in his words: “You know, a great color for 12-year-old kids – sour gummy worms.”

Greg Iles, Mississippi author of 'Natchez Burning' trilogy, dies of cancer at 65

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi author Greg Iles has died at 65. His literary agent Dan Conaway said Iles died Friday after a decades-long battle with the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Initially diagnosed with the incurable condition in 1996, he kept his illness private until completing his final novel, “Southern Man,” which was published in 2024. Iles was born in Germany but moved to Natchez, Mississippi, with his family when he was just 3 years old and developed a deep connection with the region. Many of his stories are set in Mississippi, including the “Natchez Burning” trilogy, historical fiction suspense novels exploring race and class in the 1960s Jim Crow South.

Target and Ulta mutually agree not to renew partnership launched in 2021

NEW YORK (AP) — Target and Ulta Beauty are parting ways, ending a partnership launched in 2021 that created in-store shops filled with beauty products at hundreds of the discounter’s stores. According to a joint release issued Thursday, the companies said they have “mutually agreed” not to renew their pact, which concludes in August 2026. Until then, the Ulta Beauty experience at Target will continue in Target stores and on Target.com, the release said. Ulta is currently in 600 of Target’s roughly 1,980 stores, according to a Target spokesperson.

Train collides with vehicle in Denmark, killing one person and injuring about 20 others

BERLIN (AP) — A passenger train has collided with a vehicle at a crossing in southern Denmark. The accident on Friday left one person dead and injured about 20 others. The extent of the injuries remains unclear, but photos show derailed and overturned carriages. A large number of emergency services were on the scene. Local news outlet TV2 reported that drones and search dogs were deployed. Banedanmark, the company operating Denmark's rail network, confirmed the collision occurred at a level crossing.