Sesame Workshop regains control of Elmo's hacked X account after racist posts

Sesame Workshop has regained control of Elmo's X account after a hacker posted racist and antisemitic messages. A spokesperson confirmed Monday that the account was compromised over the weekend. Instead of its usual uplifting posts, the account shared offensive content, including a reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The posts were quickly deleted. Elmo's account, with 650,000 followers, has been a platform for mental health awareness. Last year, it gained attention when Elmo asked followers how they were doing, prompting responses from figures like then-President Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.

Martin Cruz Smith, acclaimed author of 'Gorky Park,' dies at 82

NEW YORK (AP) — Mystery novelist Martin Cruz Smith, known for such Arkady Renko thrillers as “Gorky Park,” has died at age 82. His publisher, Simon & Schuster, confirmed that he died Friday in San Rafael, California, surrounded by loved ones. Smith, who had Parkinson’s disease, gave the same condition to his famous protagonist, Renko. His final Renko novel, “Hotel Ukraine,” will be published this week. Smith’s career spanned decades, with honors including a Gold Dagger award for “Gorky Park,” which became a bestseller and a film. His works often explored Soviet and Russian history, and were praised for blending sharp characters with compelling plots.

Nationals take Eli Willits with No. 1 pick in MLB draft, first of record 17 first-round shortstops

ATLANTA (AP) — The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise. The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player taken No. 1 overall since Ken Griffey Jr. to Seattle in 1987, according to MLB. He’s the son of ex-big leaguer Reggie Willits, who played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and also coached with the New York Yankees. Willits, from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, is a switch-hitter who is expected to develop a power swing. The draft came one week after the Nationals fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez.

'Love Island USA' crowns Amaya and Bryan as winning couple of show's tumultuous seventh season

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Love Island USA” crowned the season’s winning couple Sunday evening after a tumultuous run full of explosive breakups and shock exits. A public vote crowned Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales as the winning couple of its seventh season on Peacock. The show brings young singles together in a remote villa in Fiji to explore connections with the ultimate goal of finding love. The winning couple won $100,000. A new series called “Love Island: Beyond the Villa” also premiered Sunday and follows last summer’s cast.

Caitlin Clark has 14 points and 13 assists as Fever beat Paige Bueckers and Wings 102-83

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 14 points, 13 assists and a career-high-tying five steals, Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points and the Indiana Fever beat rookie Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings 102-83 in the first matchup between the past two No. 1 picks in the WNBA draft. Bueckers made 9 of 15 from the field and finished with 21 points. The Fever had a franchise-record-tying 30 assists. Indiana scored 64 first-half points — the most in a half in the WNBA this season — to take an 18-point lead into halftime. Li Yueru scored 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and JJ Quinerly added 13 for Dallas.

The One Where Iga Swiatek Got A Hug from Courteney Cox After Winning Wimbledon

LONDON (AP) — Call this episode of Iga Swiatek’s marvelous tennis career “The One Where Iga Swiatek Got A Hug from Courteney Cox After Winning Wimbledon.” Swiatek is a huge fan of the TV sitcom “Friends,” and actress Courteney Cox — who played Monica Geller on the show — was at Centre Court on Saturday when the Polish star’s 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova earned her a championship at the All England Club and sixth Grand Slam title overall. When the match ended, Swiatek went into the stands for celebratory embraces, including one from Cox.

Truck smashes through barrier and plunges off a bridge into the Delaware River

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A tractor-trailer cab plunged off the Delaware Memorial Bridge into the Delaware River near Wilmington. Authorities say the incident happened early Friday after the truck crossed three lanes of traffic and smashed through a concrete barrier. It’s unclear how many people were inside the cab. Authorities had not confirmed any fatalities as of Friday afternoon. Rescue crews and dive teams searched the river, finding the cab in about 20 feet of water. The bridge has a clearance of about 175 feet above the river. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Musk's latest Grok chatbot searches for billionaire mogul's views before answering questions

Elon Musk's new AI chatbot, Grok 4, is raising eyebrows for its unusual behavior. The chatbot, released Wednesday by Musk's company xAI, sometimes searches Musk's views online before answering questions. Experts say this behavior appears to align Grok's responses with Musk's opinions, especially on controversial topics. For example, when asked about the Middle East conflict, Grok searched Musk's comments on the issue for guidance. Critics are concerned about the lack of transparency and the chatbot's alignment with Musk's personal values. While Grok shows strong technical capabilities, experts warn its unpredictable behavior could undermine trust in the tool.

Wife of Lufthansa CEO expresses 'deep sorrow' over fatal car accident in Italy

ROME (AP) — Vivian Spohr, the wife of Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, said she is “at the compete disposal” of Italian judicial authorities following the death of a 24-year-old woman who was struck by a vehicle in Sardinia. In a statement issued by her Italian lawyer on Friday, Vivian Spohr expressed “her dismay and deep sorrow for this grave accident". Local media reports said the 51-year-old German businesswoman was driving a SUV which was in collision with a pedestrian on a crosswalk in Porto Cervo on Tuesday. Gaia Costa died of serious head injuries at the scene.

Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after two consumers suffer vision loss from ejecting caps

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is recalling about 850,000 stainless steel water bottles because the lid can “forcefully eject” and unexpectedly strike consumers — resulting in permanent vision loss for two people to date. The recall covers Walmart’s “Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles,” which have been sold at the chain’s stores across the country since 2017. According to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, when a consumer attempts to open the bottles after food, carbonated beverages or perishable drinks are stored inside over time, the lid can eject forcefully. Walmart had received three reports of consumers who were injured after being struck in the face by these lids when opening their bottles. And two of those people suffered permanent vision loss.