Brad Marchand embraces Panthers' rat-throwing tradition, which goes back 30 years

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — There’s a giant, gold-outlined rat emblazoned on the hat that dangles in Brad Marchand’s locker. The scrappy NHL veteran has been likened to the tiny rodent for much of his career, notoriously known as “The Rat” among hockey fans. So when Marchand was traded from Boston to Florida back in March, it didn’t take long for him to embrace Panthers fans’ tradition of tossing plastic rats onto the ice after wins. After the Panthers routed the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 on Monday in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, rats rained down in a tradition that has last lasted 30 years.

The world's oldest restaurant faces a challenge from another Madrid tavern that says its even older

MADRID (AP) — In the heart of Spain’s capital, the famous Sobrino de Botín restaurant proudly holds the title of being the world’s oldest restaurant. It opened its doors in 1725, having survived Napoleonic invasions, civil war and the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, it welcomes droves of eager tourists in Madrid every day. But a half-hour away, a small family-run restaurant says that it was founded 23 years before Botín, in 1702. Casa Pedro’s owners are combing through local archives to prove what's asserted on their sugar packets and in their logo, and say they’re getting close.

Leaders of ‘orgasmic meditation’ women's wellness company OneTaste convicted in forced labor trial

NEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of a sex-focused women’s wellness company that promoted “orgasmic meditation” have been convicted of federal forced labor charges. A Brooklyn jury on Monday found 57-year-old Nicole Daedone and 44-year-old Rachel Cherwitz guilty after deliberating for less than two days following a roughly monthlong trial. Daedone is the founder of OneTaste Inc., and Cherwitz is the California company’s former sales director. Prosecutors argued the two had groomed adherents to do their bidding for years. Daedone’s defense lawyer cast her as a “ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur” who created a unique business around women’s sexuality and empowerment.

A runaway pet zebra has been captured in Tennessee

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — A runaway pet zebra has been captured in Tennessee. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says Ed was captured Sunday in a pasture. He was airlifted to an animal trailer. Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the waiting trailer. The zebra had been on the loose since May 31. It was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24 before disappearing into the woods. Ed quickly became the subject of internet memes.

Why a Minneapolis neighborhood sharpens a giant pencil every year

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Throngs of people gathered Saturday in a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood for an annual ritual — the sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil. The 20-feet-tall pencil was sculpted out of a mammoth oak at the home of John and Amy Higgins. The beloved tree was damaged in a storm a few years ago. But the Higginses saw it not so much as a loss, but as a chance to give the tree new life. The sharpening ceremony on their front lawn has evolved into a spectacle that draws hundreds of people to the Lake of the Isles neighborhood, complete with music and pageantry.

A quirky vegetable sculpture contest features a squash Donald Trump and a papal 'Cornclave'

LONDON (AP) — Vegetable likenesses of U.S. President Donald Trump and singer Dolly Parton and a papal “Cornclave” are on display at the Lambeth Country Show. The annual event is  an urban take on a country fair held in London’s Brockwell Park. The vegetable sculpture contest has attracted national renown for its quirky creativity. This year, several sculptures referenced the recent papal election or movie on the subject. One featured cardinals made of maize and was titled “Cornclave.” Other entries included Irish rap trio Kneecap in potato form, “Cauli Parton,” a vegetable “Mo Salad” likeness of Liverpool soccer star Mohamed Salah and animated icons Wallace and Gromit made from butternut squash. Trump also got the butternut squash treatment.

Flying boats make for a rare sight as Washington clears an island of derelict vessels by helicopter

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Department of Natural Resources has been using one of its firefighting helicopters to haul abandoned boats off an uninhabited island in the southernmost reaches of Puget Sound this week. The vessels are flown to the mainland to be deconstructed later. The state agency opts to airlift boats out when a water removal would disrupt the marine bed or surrounding environment too much. Officials say this week’s operation was the largest the department has undertaken. Since the boat removal program began in 2002, the department has hauled out more than 1,200 derelict vessels.

Dilly Dally the sea turtle returns to the ocean after flipper amputation

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly Dally is back in the Atlantic Ocean, months after having a front flipper amputated at a Florida turtle hospital. The turtle was brought to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in January suffering from predator wounds to the front flipper. The veterinary crew at the Juno Beach facility assisted in Dilly Dally’s rehabilitation and care. A veterinary technician at the center says a satellite tracking device was attached to Dilly Dally’s shell that will allow the center and the public to follow her journey. The center partnered with the Smithsonian to get the satellite tag, which was attached on Tuesday.

The iconic Goodyear Blimp is 100. To celebrate, a flight over Ohio

MOGADORE, Ohio (AP) — The iconic Goodyear airships are taking a “victory lap” over the skies of an Ohio city this week. The Akron-based company is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the inaugural flight of its first branded blimp, known as “Pilgrim,” which took flight just outside of the city on June 3, 1925. Goodyear began experimenting with lighter than aircraft in the early 1900s, and the dirigibles have since become one of the most lasting and iconic corporate brand assets in the world. For some, it evokes nostalgia, while for others it offers a glimpse into a larger-than-life advertising symbol.

North Dakota's historic sites will finally have toilets that flush

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Visitors to historic sites in North Dakota will soon have flush toilets available. The State Historical Society is upgrading major sites with staffs, such as bandleader Lawrence Welk’s childhood home. The move comes as a way to improve the visitor experience and to replace portable and vault toilets at staffed sites. Other sites set for the upgrades include Whitestone Hill and Fort Buford. North Dakota has 60 historic sites, from museums to historic buildings to remote locations. Not every site will receive the restroom upgrades. Nearly 400,000 people last year visited places where the Historical Society tracks visitation.