WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Like plenty of local boys before him, Neil has come home to the stretch of Australian coast where he was born. Unlike most of them, he trails fame, fans and property damage in his wake. He is also a 1,000 kg (2,200 pound) elephant seal.

In June, the bellowing and blubbery 5-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns in southern Tasmania state after months of feeding at sea. That’s posing problems now that he weighs as much as a small car and has a social media following more than double Tasmania’s human population.

His rampage through local infrastructure has claimed bent traffic bollards, a sign warning the public about seals and a fence that did not survive Neil’s attempt to vault it. The rest of the time he lies placidly any place he likes, which is sometimes the middle of the road, bringing towns he visits to a standstill.

Context and more illustrations

A Cato Institute survey of 2,253 Americans, conducted with Morning Consult on June 25-26, found that 46% of respondents couldn't identify what America's 250th anniversary commemorates on July 4th, while 53% correctly linked it to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The knowledge gap was most pronounced among Gen Z, with 61% of respondents aged roughly 18 to 26 unable to identify the significance of the anniversary. Only 39% of that age group correctly connected the celebration to the Declaration of Independence.

The survey also revealed broader civic knowledge gaps: 57% of Americans didn't know why the colonies declared independence from Britain, 58% couldn't identify the main purpose of the Constitution, and 55% didn't know the Supreme Court has final say in disputes with the president.

HONOLULU (AP) — A Grand Canyon river rafting guide who aimed to become the first American woman to row across the mid-Pacific solo has completed a record-breaking journey from California to Hawaii.

Hundreds gathered to cheer on Kelsey Pfendler as she pulled into a Honolulu harbor Friday night on her 21-foot row boat, Lily, after nearly a month and a half at sea, local media reported.

Pfendler, who launched from Monterey, California, in May, set out to become the first American woman, youngest woman and fastest woman to make the more than 2,400-mile journey solo, according to her website. Hundreds of thousands of people followed along with her journey on social media, where she shared the highs, lows and quirks of her trek in videos taken as she bobbed alone on the vast ocean.

Pfendler appears to have broken both the previous women’s speed record as well as the men’s speed record, according to records maintained by Ocean Rowing Society International, which adjudicates ocean-rowing achievements for Guinness World Records. The organization didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press about Pfendler’s finish.

Today's players finish their points from way back

A Maine couple heading out for a day of fishing happened upon a scene fit for a nature documentary: A moose calf running for its life with a large black bear in pursuit.

Elvia and Todd Malcolm were in Telos Township, Maine, about an hour or so from their home in Lincoln, when they saw a female moose along the edge of a wooded area before she turned down a side road.

“I said to Elvia, I said, ‘Grab your phone because you’re going to get a chance to get a picture of a moose,’” Todd Malcolm told The Associated Press.

They parked their truck to watch the moose and noticed she seemed agitated and was grunting as if calling to a calf.

Suddenly, the calf and bear charged out of the trees heading straight toward them. Todd Malcolm said there was no doubt in his mind that the bear would catch the calf and decided not to let nature take its course that day.

“I put the truck in drive and I just stepped on the gas,” he said, explaining that he wasn’t trying to hurt the bear, just trying to put the truck between the bear and the calf. “I knew what I had to do and I just did it.”

The bear jumped to the side and streaked off, Todd Malcolm said, “Boom, gone, right in the woods.”

His wife was happy and relieved they were able to intervene.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48861413

Scrappiest of scrap wood projects.

The proportions are odd, but it's designed to fit under the landing of the stairs going into the garage. Makes a good use of an otherwise awkward space. Like everything else in the shop, it's on casters to allow for easy movement and cleaning around.

Most of this wood was from the big lifting tower I used to get the dust collector motor into place.

I picked out this... thing. The duvet cover had eaten everything in the machine and turned itself into a postmodern textile art piece.

This is real by the way.

https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/reginald-desroches

https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1003928987/lionel-e-desroches

https://www.linkedin.com/in/magalie-desroches-austin-esq-she-her-8b9b0194/

https://about.att.com/story/2026/desroches-deutsche-bank-conference.html

https://www.dallasfed.org/people/fed/bod/desroches

you can see its cheeks puff out to spit the fireballs but nothing comes out

Norwegian football fans converge at New York’s iconic Times Square ahead of their second Group I clash against Senegal, which is set for Monday night. (AP Video by Sophia Monteforte)

what the title says. what does it represent?