Associated Press

Expert testifying for the defense acknowledged that Memphis officers’ blows were unnecessary

A police training expert testifying on Saturday as a defense witness in the trial of three former Memphis officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols acknowledged that kicks and punches to Nichols’ head were unnecessary and excessive.

Don Cameron took the stand on the sixth day of the trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder. They already face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year.

Reginald, a great dane, and Pearl, a chihuahua, met after winning their respective Guinness World Records categories

A playdate between the world’s tallest and smallest living dogs went the way of most dog park encounters despite the 3ft (0.91-meter) height difference – lots of tail wagging, sniffing and scampering.

Reginald, a seven-year-old great dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records. The fact that Reginald is the size of a small horse and Pearl is as small as an apple didn’t stop them from getting along famously.

Joseph Czuba, 73, killed Muslim boy and severely injured his mother in vicious attack days after war in Gaza began

An Illinois landlord who killed a six-year-old Muslim boy and severely injured his mother in a vicious hate-crime attack days after the war in Gaza began was sentenced on Friday to 53 years in prison.

Joseph Czuba, 73, was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen.

Sea lion grooving along to hits such as Boogie Wonderland helps show scientists rhythm is not exclusive to humans

Ronan the sea lion can still keep a beat after all these years.

She can groove to rock and electronica. But the 15-year-old California sea lion’s talent shines most in bobbing to disco hits such as Boogie Wonderland.

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Kosmos 482, weighing 500kg, was meant to land on Venus in the 1970s but it never made it out of orbit because of a rocket malfunction

A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth.

It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive re-entry, according to space debris-tracking experts.

DoJ says Clean Air Act creates program to oversee air pollution and ‘displaces’ states’ ability to regulate it

The US justice department on Wednesday filed lawsuits against Hawaii and Michigan over their planned legal action against fossil fuel companies for harms caused by the climate crisis, claiming the state actions conflict with federal government authority and Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda.

The suits, which legal experts say are unprecedented, mark the latest of the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental work and raise concern over states’ abilities to retain the power to take climate action without federal opposition.

DoJ says Clean Air Act creates program to oversee air pollution and ‘displaces’ states’ ability to regulate it

The US justice department on Wednesday filed lawsuits against Hawaii and Michigan over their planned legal action against fossil fuel companies for harms caused by the climate crisis, claiming the state actions conflict with federal government authority and Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda.

The suits, which legal experts say are unprecedented, mark the latest of the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental work and raise concern over states’ abilities to retain the power to take climate action without federal opposition.

President acknowledged his tariff war with China could lead to a toy shortage and costlier products

Donald Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that his tariffs could result in fewer and costlier products in the United States, saying American kids might “have two dolls instead of 30 dolls”, but he insisted China will suffer more from his trade war.

The US president has tried to reassure a nervous country that his tariffs will not provoke a recession, after a new government report showed the US economy shrank during the first three months of the year.

Former NFL star ‘absolutely devastated’ by death of Jeff Sperbeck, 62, who suffered injury at California golf resort

Jeff Sperbeck, a business partner and former agent for NFL Hall of Famer John Elway, died Wednesday after suffering an injury last weekend at a southern California golf resort community. He was 62.

No cause of death was released, but the Riverside county coroner’s office said Sperbeck was injured on Saturday and the address listed for the incident belongs to the Madison Club in La Quinta.

Funding will not be continued next year after bill signed in 2022 helped schools hire more mental health workers

The Trump administration is moving to cancel $1bn in school mental health grants, saying they reflect the priorities of the previous administration.

Grant recipients were notified on Tuesday that the funding will not be continued after this year. A gun violence bill signed by Joe Biden in 2022 sent $1bn to the grant programs to help schools hire more psychologists, counselors and other mental health workers.