Wimbledon champion Krejcikova withdraws from US Open, Shelton and Tiafoe to meet in third round
NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Tiafoe will get a long-awaited rematch against Ben Shelton at the U.S. Open. But for Barbora Krejcikova, a second consecutive Grand Slam title won't be possible. The Wimbledon champion lost 6-4, 7-5 to Elena Gabriela Roos in the second round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. Roos reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time and will face 26th-seeded Paula Badosa, who beat American Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-5. Tiafoe and Shelton both won their second-round matches and will meet on Friday. Shelton beat Tiafoe in the U.S. Open quarterfinals last year.
The Venice Film Festival is preparing to welcome “Maria,” a film starring Angelina Jolie and the famous opera singer.
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Angelina Jolie plays famed opera singer Maria Callas in a movie premiering Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. Chilean director Pablo Larraín's “Maria” focuses on Callas' life in Paris in the '70s before her death at age 53. Larraín brought to Venice his previous, well-known historical films about women, “Jackie” and “Spencer,” both of which earned Oscar nominations for their leading actresses. “Maria,” which Netflix has acquired streaming rights to, is the final instalment of a so-called trilogy and is one of 21 films competing for the festival's award, which will be announced Sept. 7.
A newborn rattlesnake born in a “mega burrow” in Colorado has been seen alive for the first time.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Colorado's “megaden” of hundreds of rattlesnakes is getting bigger as late summer approaches and babies are being born. Thanks to livestreamed video, scientists monitoring the den are learning more about the rattlesnakes, including how they care for their young. The rattlesnake den can house as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes at a time. Cal Poly researchers are also enlisting the public's help with tasks such as identifying the snakes. Project Rattlescome's latest highlight is dozens of baby rattlesnakes crawling among much larger adult rattlesnakes.
Second baby elephant born in two weeks at California zoo
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A second baby elephant has been born in two weeks at a California zoo. African elephant Amare gave birth Monday, according to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Amare's mother, Nolwazi, gave birth to another male calf earlier this month at the zoo, about 150 miles southeast of San Francisco. The zoo is working on an elephant breeding program with the goal of making elephants available to zoo visitors for years to come. Some animal rights activists have criticized keeping elephants in zoos, citing the animals' complex needs.
Scientists say the unprocessed Alaskan glacier melt that Ludacris drank was perfectly fine.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Rapper-turned-actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges recently drew concern from his social media followers after kneeling on an Alaskan glacier and dipping an empty plastic bottle into a clear, bluish puddle of glacial meltwater. Some worried he might get sick from drinking untreated water. But glaciologist Martin Truffer called the online furor “absurd.” Truffer said the rapper is “totally fine.” He said glacial meltwater is not subject to biological activity and is “some of the cleanest water you're ever going to get.” Ludacris had visited the Knik Glacier while performing at the Alaska State Fair.
Your own 'SportsCenter'? ESPN is prepping for upcoming streaming service
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Sports fans may be able to click through personalized versions of “SportsCenter” highlight shows developed with the help of artificial intelligence as early as next year on a new streaming service being developed by ESPN. The flagship streaming service is expected to launch in the fall of 2025 and will target cable-cutters and encompass much of ESPN's current TV slate. It's one of several projects ESPN executives described during a press conference on Wednesday, including a new “Where to Watch” feature on the app and website that's designed to make it easier for fans to search and click through multiple different sporting events, provided they're paying subscribers.
Rio de Janeiro police have a new target: elusive stuffed toys
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Police in Rio de Janeiro executed 16 search warrants targeting claw machines that thrill children and adults alike in the city. But police said the machines trick users into believing winning a stuffed toy is a test of skill. In fact, they are games of chance, like slot machines, and therefore illegal. Police seized claw machines, laptops, tablets, cellphones, firearms and stuffed toys on Wednesday. Police are investigating the possibility that organized crime is hiding behind the claw machines.
Workers destroy major dam on Klamath River, allowing salmon to swim free for the first time in a century
As the largest dam removal project in U.S. history nears completion, workers have destroyed the last dam in a major stretch of the Klamath River, clearing the way for salmon to swim freely in the main watershed near the California-Oregon border for the first time in more than a century. Workers used excavators on Wednesday to destroy rock dams that had been channeling water upstream of the Iron Gate and Copco No. 1 dams, which have already been nearly completely removed. The work will allow the river to flow freely through its historic channel, giving salmon access to key habitat just in time for the fall spawning season of king salmon, also known as Chinook salmon.
What movies are popular at the cinema? Old movies and not so old movies
NEW YORK (AP) — Look at most movie theater marquees these days and you'll see a few old movies as well as new releases. With nearly every movie a few clicks away from home, nothing is more popular on the big screen than yesterday's movies. Repertory films that were once the preserve of arthouses are now joining multiplexes. Ticket sales can also soar. In the past two weeks, Laika Studios' popular stop-motion movie “Coraline” has grossed more than $25 million, a staggering amount for a film that's 15 years old. A host of movies are celebrating their milestone releases this fall, including “Shaun of the Dead,” “Paris, Texas,” “Whiplash,” “Hoop Dreams” and “Interstellar.”
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