New York jury awards $1.68 billion to women who accused writer and director Toback of sexual abuse

Lawyers for 40 women who accused writer and director James Toback of sexual abuse over a 35-year span say they have been awarded $1.68 billion from a New York jury. Wednesday's jury award, which includes punitive and compensatory damages, stems from a lawsuit filed in Manhattan in 2022 after New York state instituted a one-year window for people to file lawsuits over sexual assault claims, even if they took place decades ago. Toback was nominated for an Oscar for writing 1991′s “Bugsy,” and his career in Hollywood has spanned more than 40 years. He has denied the allegations in court documents.

Shark attack survivor presses her state for an alert system to keep people safe in the water

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama teen who narrowly survived a fierce shark attack last year is asking her state's lawmakers to support the creation of a new alert system. The Alabama legislation would establish an alert system, similar to the Amber Alert system, that would notify the public when there has been an unprovoked shark attack nearby. Sixteen-year-old Lulu Gribbin was one of three people bitten by a shark on a single day last summer. She lost her left hand and part of her leg. Gribbin said she wouldn't have ventured into the water that day had she known of an earlier shark attack just down the coast.

LeBron James becomes first professional male athlete to have likeness depicted in a Ken doll

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Basketball great LeBron James has become the first professional male athlete to have his likeness depicted in a Ken doll. Mattel Inc. unveiled the LeBron Ken doll to kick off the toy manufacturer’s “Kenbassador” series. Last year, nine female athlete Barbies, including tennis star Venus Williams, were introduced. In an Associated Press-produced video of James seeing the doll for the first time, the “King” expressed his approval. He alternately called the doll “dope,” and “cool.” The doll costs $75 and goes on sale Monday.

Jordan Spieth's 3-year-old son and 89-year-old Gary Player make memories at Masters Par 3 Contest

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jordan Spieth's 3-year-old son, Sammy, was among the kids who stole the show at the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday. Sammy hit a tee shot 30 yards down the middle of the second hole at Augusta National's tranquil par-3 course. His dad didn't bother to tee off. Jordan Spieth took the same approach as most players with designs on winning a green jacket by not posting a score. The Par 3 Contest began in 1960 and nobody has won it and the green jacket in the same year. Nico Echavarria was the Par 3 champion, beating J.J. Spaun in a playoff.

Soil from the moon's far side suggests drier conditions than the side facing Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Soil and rocks returned from the moon's far side suggest it may be drier than the side constantly facing Earth. Chinese scientists reported the findings Wednesday, but cautioned more samples are needed for a clearer picture. China became the first country to return samples from the moon’s far side last year. The Chang’e 6 spacecraft scooped up the volcanic rock and dirt from an ancient impact basin. Researchers used electron microscopes to analyze the samples and found the abundance of water to be on the dry end of what's been found in samples from the moon's near side.

Previous execution reveals how South Carolina will put 2nd inmate to death by firing squad

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A few more details are known about South Carolina's firing squad as the state prepares to carry out its second execution by that method. South Carolina keeps its execution protocols secret, but the first firing squad execution last month shows there won’t be any kind of countdown heard or seen by witnesses before 41-year-old Mikal Mahdi is shot Friday in the death chamber at a Columbia prison. Mahdi will have a target with a red bull’s-eye over his heart for the three prison employees who volunteered for the squad to aim at. Mahdi is being executed for killing an off-duty police officer in an ambush in 2004.

Octavio Dotel, who once held record of pitching for 13 major league teams, dies in DR roof collapse

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Former major league relief pitcher Octavio Dotel was among the dead after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in his native Dominican Republic where he was attending a merengue concert. Dotel pitched for 13 major league teams in a 15-year career and won a world championship with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was 51. Dotel signed with the New York Mets in 1993 as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut in 1999. He turned into a reliable and at times dominant reliever while appearing in 758 games from 1999-2013.

Prague Zoo joins the effort to ensure the survival of a rare insect once considered extinct

PRAGUE (AP) — The Prague Zoo has joined an international effort to ensure the survival of a rare insect that had been considered extinct for more than 80 years. The zoo is among six institutions around the world that have been able to create living conditions for the largest species of flightless insect, the Lord Howe Island stick insect. It's native to a remote archipelago off Australia. The arrival of rats with humans were thought to have wiped out the insects. But their existence was confirmed in 2001. Now a breeding program hopes to return them to their natural environment. They are on display in Prague.

Florida's run to the national title lifts the Gators to No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 men's poll

Florida is a unanimous No. 1 in the final Associated Press men’s college basketball poll of the 2024-25 season after winning the national championship. The Gators beat Houston 65-63 to clinch the program's third national title and first since 2007. Florida is atop the AP Top 25 for the first time since the end of the 2013-14 season. Houston, Duke, Auburn and Tennessee round out the top five.

National Park Service restores original Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad webpage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service has reversed edits and restored content to its webpage about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in the wake of news reports and public backlash over the changes. An NPS spokeswoman says the changes were made without approval and that the agency celebrates Tubman. Changes included removing Tubman’s picture from the top of the page, editing text to remove references to slavery and changed descriptions about the issue and its brutal realities. The issue comes amid sweeping government changes to comply with President Donald Trump’s campaign against so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the federal government. In some cases, officials have scrambled to remove and then restore online content as changes came to light.