Alaska man unscathed after being pinned for three hours by 700-pound boulder in glacier creek

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska man escaped unscathed after being trapped by a 700-pound boulder for three hours during a hike in a remote area last weekend. Kell Morris’ wife held his head above water to prevent him from drowning. It took seven firefighters and inflatable air bags to lift the boulder off him as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The accident happened near Seward as he was walking on the bank of a glacier creek, and the whole slide slid out from under him, like an avalanche of rocks. He was airlifted out and taken to a hospital for observation. He and his wife plan to go hiking this weekend -- on established trails.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, preserver of Virginia history and grandson of 10th US president, dies at 96

CHARLES CITY, Va. (AP) — Harrison Ruffin Tyler died on Sunday. He is the last living grandson of U.S. President John Tyler known for preserving his grandfather’s plantation and nearby Union Civil War fort. The cause of Tyler’s death on Sunday was not immediately available. Tyler’s grandfather was a Democrat nicknamed the “Accidental President” after unexpectedly assuming the presidency when President William Henry Harrison died in office. The time between the president’s birth and his grandson’s death spans 235 years.

Delta flight delayed because 2 pigeons sneaked aboard a plane in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two pigeons sneaked aboard a Delta Air Lines plane, delaying the flight twice. The airline confirmed that the pigeons got aboard a flight Saturday that was leaving Minneapolis for Madison, Wisconsin. Passenger Tom Caw told news outlets that the plane had to return to the gate twice because of birds flying around the cabin. He said the first bird was captured by a ground crew. The second time, a passenger stepped in. Delta says the flight was delayed a total of 56 minutes. Another Delta flight over the Memorial Day weekend was delayed when a dog in the cabin got sick.

Tripping hikers mistakenly report a companion's death in the Adirondacks, officials say

NORTH ELBA, N.Y. (AP) — Officials say two hikers in New York’s Adirondack Mountains called 911 to report a third member of their party had died, but it turned out they had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms and were mistaken. The state Department of Environmental Conservation said in a news release Wednesday that a forest ranger responded to a call Saturday about a hiker who had reportedly died on Cascade Mountain, a popular summit in the Adirondack High Peaks. It says the two hikers who called 911 also told a steward on the mountain’s summit that they were lost, and that the steward determined they "were in an altered mental state." The supposedly dead person called and wasn't injured. The three eventually reconvened at their campsite.

Brazilian nuns go viral after beatboxing on Catholic TV

SAO PAULO (AP) — Two Brazilian nuns have gone viral after dropping an impromptu beatbox and dance session during a Catholic television program. Sisters Marizele Cassiano and Marisa de Paula, members of the “Copiosa Redenção” congregation, were talking about a vocational retreat on Brazil’s Pai Eterno — Eternal Father — TV channel when they brought up a song about being called to the religious life. The two stood up and launched into a routine, complete with singing, beatbox and dance moves. Then the presenter, Deacon Giovani Bastos, joined in, matching Sister de Paula’s moves in a performance that’s now been seen by millions on social media in Brazil and abroad.

'How did you get here?' A large elephant seal is found lumbering along a South African street

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A large elephant seal took a wrong turn and was seen lumbering along a street in South Africa on Tuesday. It surprised residents and inspired a rescue effort to get the two-ton creature back to sea. The seal was making his way through a suburb near Cape Town. Police and a local security company attempted to contain the seal by parking patrol cars around him, but he slipped through that. A team of marine wildlife specialists and a veterinarian sedated the seal and guided him into a trailer to be returned to his natural habitat at a nearby bay.

What is Manhattanhenge and when can you see it?

NEW YORK (AP) — Twice per year, New Yorkers and visitors are treated to a phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the setting sun aligns with the Manhattan street grid and sinks below the horizon framed in a canyon of skyscrapers. The first Manhattanhenge of the year takes place at sunset on Wednesday, with a slight variation happening again Thursday. It will occur again on July 11 and 12. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term in a 1997 article. Tyson has said that he was inspired by a visit to Stonehenge as a teenager. Manhattanhenge happens about three weeks before and after the summer solstice.

Wild chickens take over Miami while some embrace roosters as a cultural symbol

MIAMI (AP) — Flamingos, pelicans, herons and parrots are just a few of the wild birds that call Miami home. But it’s the roosters, hens and baby chicks that have come to rule the roost in recent years. And they're not only found in residential neighborhoods like Little Havana, Little Haiti and Wynwood. The fowl families are also making their home among the high-rises and government buildings downtown. While some people find the crowing to be a nuisance, many have adopted the rooster as an unofficial mascot for the city.

Meet Hercules and Ned, the border collies fending off wildlife at West Virginia’s busiest airport

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two border collies have a full-time job keeping birds and other wildlife off the runway at West Virginia's busiest airport. Hercules and Ned make daily patrols with their handler to keep planes and passengers safe along the milelong airfield at West Virginia International Yeager Airport. Hercules is 8 years old and has been on the job at the mountaintop airport in Charleston since 2018. Ned is 3 and was brought in last year. Hercules is also the airport's chief ambassador, soaking in affection from passengers inside the terminal while providing calm for some nervously waiting to board a flight.