'Leap together,' Kermit the Frog says in commencement address at University of Maryland graduation

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Kermit the Frog addressed the University of Maryland’s class of 2025 as their commencement speaker telling them, “life is better when we leap together.” Graduates wore Kermit T-shirts and showed off Kermit stuffed animals while listening to the beloved Muppet speak at the graduation ceremony Thursday evening. Muppets creator Jim Henson graduated from Maryland in 1960 after majoring in home economics there. The university says he fashioned the original frog puppet from one of his mother’s coats and a Ping-Pong ball cut in half. A bronze statue of him and Kermit sitting on a bench is a well-known feature of the College Park campus. Kermit was created in 1955 and became the centerpiece of the Muppets franchise.

Costa Rica police seize 5 capybaras, crack cocaine and marijuana from fleeing vehicle

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rican police seized five capybaras, crack cocaine and marijuana after chasing down a fleeing vehicle on a highway along the Central American country’s Pacific coast. The large rodents are a semi-aquatic South American relative of the guinea pig and happen to be having a moment on social platforms. But they are not native to Costa Rica. So the Public Security Ministry said Thursday that possessing, transporting or trafficking them is illegal. The agency said it had never recorded another seizure of the animals. Two men in the vehicle, who both had criminal records, were arrested.

Jury convicts New York-Paris flight stowaway who slipped past gate agents

NEW YORK (AP) — A woman who was able to sneak onto a flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass last year has been convicted of a stowaway charge. A federal court jury in Brooklyn came back with a verdict on Thursday in the case of Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old Russian citizen with U.S. residency. Court documents say Dali sneaked past federal security agents and airline gate agents by blending in with other passengers at John F. Kennedy International Airport in November. She was taken into custody at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. A sentencing date was not set. The guidelines call for up to six months in prison. She has been in custody for five months.

An ex-Harvard Medical School morgue manager admits his role in the theft of human remains

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager has admitted his role in the theft and sale of human body parts — including hands, feet and heads. Federal prosecutors say Cedric Lodge pleaded guilty Wednesday in Pennsylvania to interstate transport of stolen human remains. The 57-year-old New Hampshire man could face up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors say the thefts from the morgue in Boston occurred between 2018 through at least March 2020. Authorities have said Lodge, his wife and others were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard and a mortuary in Arkansas. Denise Lodge and several other defendants have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from the scheme.

Loose pet kangaroo keeps police hopping — again — in Colorado

A pet kangaroo was on the loose in Colorado. Irwin got out in Durango on Monday, prompting a call to police. Officers followed the animal into a backyard. Durango police Cmdr. Nick Stasi says he's not sure how Irwin got out. And at first police weren't sure how to catch him. An officer with animal-handling experience got the job done by creeping close to the young kangaroo near a house and nabbing him before he could bolt. Irwin also got loose last fall. But he was so young back then he simply hopped into a bag resembling a kangaroo mother's pouch.

Hot dog: Oscar Mayer's Weinermobile fleet set to race during Indy 500's Carb Day festivities

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oscar Mayer’s iconic Wienermobile fleet will be “hot dogging” it later this week at the inaugural "Wienie 500.” The six vehicles will be starting their engines Friday at 2 p.m. as part of the Indianapolis 500's Carb Day festivities. It's the first time in a decade all six Wienermobiles will be at the same location — and it's the first time they’ll ever race. Each vehicle will represent regional hot dog favorites for six American regions. The race will be streamed on the FOX Sports app with highlights being shown during Sunday's pre-race show.

Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is forced into a draw in a showdown against ‘the world’

BERLIN (AP) — Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was forced into a draw Monday by more than 143,000 people worldwide playing against him in a single, record-setting game. The online match was billed as “Magnus Carlsen vs. The World” and began April 4 on Chess.com. It was the first-ever online freestyle game to feature a world champion. The mega-match ended after Team World checked Carlsen’s king a third time. It was a stunning outcome after Chess.com had predicted Carlsen would win by a wide margin. In the Chess.com chat, players appeared split on whether to force the draw or to keep playing against Carlsen.

Man who tried to sell $6.4m gold toilet stolen from English country house is spared jail

LONDON (AP) — A man who tried to help a burglar cash in from the theft of a gold toilet was spared prison on Monday after a British judge said he had been taken advantage of by the thieves. Frederick Doe, 37, also known as Frederick Sines, was given a suspended sentence Monday at Oxford Crown Court for his role in helping to sell the 18-carat gold fully functioning toilet stolen in 2019 from Blenheim Palace. Two men convicted of stealing the work of art face sentencing later. The toilet, which was never recovered and is believed to have been cut up and sold, was part of a satirical art installation by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Sailing from Oregon to Hawaii after quitting his job turns a man with a cat into social media star

HONOLULU (AP) — A 29-year-old former tire shop manager who quit his job and cashed in his retirement savings to buy a sailboat has become a social media sensation as he sails from Oregon to Hawaii with his cat, Phoenix. Oliver Widger says he decided to chase his sailing dream after being diagnosed with a neck issue that could ultimately paralyze him. His posts about stunning sunsets and  harrowing rudder failures as he crosses the Pacific Ocean have attracted more than 1 million followers on TikTok and Instagram. He tells The Associated Press that he is harnessing the power of social media to fund his round-the-world trip.