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This photo provided by Tony Cavallaro shows his alligator, Albert, inside the custom enclosure he built for the reptile in his house in Hamburg, N.Y. The alligator was seized by the Department of Environmental Conservation in mid-March. Tony Cavallaro via AP hide caption

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Tony Cavallaro via AP

A New York man's pet alligator was seized after 30 years. Now, he wants Albert back

The owner of a 12-foot alligator recently seized by conservation officers is fighting for its return, saying the reptile he has shared a home with is a gentle giant that's no danger to anyone.

Alabama lawmakers approved a bill barring public colleges and other entities from using money to support diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR

Alabama's governor signs a ban on DEI funds that restricts 'divisive concepts' in schools

"Nothing in this act," the legislation states, ".... May be construed to inhibit or violate the First Amendment rights of any student or employee." But its opponents say it does just that.

On Wednesday, people looked at a Banksy mural in London which has been defaced with white paint. The artwork first appeared overnight on Sunday and was confirmed to be Banksy's work on Monday. Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption

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Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images

The new Banksy tree mural in London has been defaced

Banksy's artwork, which was unveiled Monday, provides a burst of green foliage to a denuded, severely pruned tree in Islington North. By Wednesday, the mural was partly covered in white paint.

Sunlight illuminates the North Dakota House of Representatives in Bismarck, N.D. A ballot question will ask North Dakota voters whether the state should bar anyone from running for Congress if they'd turn 81 during their term. Jack Dura/AP hide caption

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Jack Dura/AP

A North Dakota ballot question could be a legal test case for political age limits

Voters will decide whether to cap the age of candidates for the U.S. House or Senate, but the measure could face an uphill battle in court.

The U.S. ranks higher in the world happiness report when it comes to people aged 60 and older. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images hide caption

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Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

The U.S. drops in a new global happiness ranking. One age group bucks the trend

A new happiness report finds sharp declines in well-being among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. But the picture is better for people aged 60 and older, marking a striking generational divide.

U.S. drops in new global happiness ranking. One age group bucks the trend

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The UConn Huskies are the No. 1 seed and are favored to win this year's NCAA March Madness tournament. But is Jonathan the Husky the cutest mascot in the competition? Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images hide caption

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Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

5 nonsensical ways to fill out your March Madness bracket

The deadline to fill out your March Madness bracket is coming up. If you want to participate but don't care or know anything about basketball, try these hairbrained rules for picking the winner.

Judges use 'arbitrary,' 'horrendous' reasons to keep teens in adult court. Illustration By Alex Fine For APM Reports hide caption

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Illustration By Alex Fine For APM Reports

Maryland judges have used 'arbitrary,' 'horrendous' reasons to keep teens in adult court

WYPR

Maryland automatically charges more teens as adults than almost any other state. An analysis of recent decisions found that some judges rely on what juvenile justice advocates say is unfair reasoning to keep those young people in adult court.

(From left) Nicole Daniels, DeAndre Brown and Lisa Beasley take a sharp and often satirical look at modern office culture, sharing their videos on TikTok where these screenshots were taken. NPR hide caption

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NPR

They lampoon American corporate culture — and the internet is here for it

The have been dubbed "cubicle comedians" — and some of the top creators raking in the views and likes are Black. For Black humor experts, that's no coincidence.

They lampoon American corporate culture — and the internet is here for it

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A soldier sits next to a fake inflatable tank used by the U.S. Army during World War II. The inflatables and other decoys were deployed in Europe to fool enemy troops about the positions and movements of real Army units. Ghost Army Legacy Project hide caption

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Ghost Army Legacy Project

From North Carolina Public Radio

With fake weapons and phony uniforms, they helped win WWII. They're finally getting medals

North Carolina Public Radio

Soldiers of a long-secret unit known as the "Ghost Army" will receive Congressional Gold Medals on Thursday morning at the Capitol.

Forty Wall Street, a Trump-owned building, stands in downtown Manhattan. Former President Trump says he can't secure a bond to appeal the $454 million penalty in his civil fraud case. But New York Attorney General Letitia James stating that she is prepared to seize the former president's assets, including the building at 40 Wall Street, if he is unable to pay. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Here's what happens if Trump can't pay his $454 million bond

The former president needs to arrange the money to comply with a New York Court ruling in less than a week, but says he can't find a company to put up the bond.

Actor Jonathan Majors attending the London premiere of his film Creed III in Feb. 2023, before his career imploded due to a series of abuse allegations and a court conviction in New York. Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. hide caption

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Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros.

Jonathan Majors is sued by ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari for assault, battery and defamation

The civil suit alleges that Majors was physically abusive towards Jabbari during incidents in Los Angeles, London and New York. The New York incident led to a criminal conviction for Majors.

Ryan Hambrook, left, and Neil Cederberg, right, went to elementary school together in Sandwich. Nowadays, they pick each other up for work many mornings, and tend to finish each other's sentences. Mara Hoplamazian/NHPR hide caption

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Mara Hoplamazian/NHPR

From New Hampshire Public Radio

How warming winters are changing the ice harvest

NHPR

Once a booming trade, Rockywold Deephaven Camps is one of the few places left in New England that harvests ice each winter. The camp was founded in 1897, and has since trained generations of workers on how to cut, haul, and store lake ice.

Migrant rights advocates have protested bills at the Iowa Capitol that target undocumented immigrants. Katarina Sostaric/IPR hide caption

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Katarina Sostaric/IPR

From Iowa Public Radio

Iowa lawmakers send Texas-style immigration enforcement bill to governor

IPR News & Studio One

Under the bill, undocumented immigrants could face up to two years in prison if they are found in Iowa and have been denied admission to or been deported from the U.S. It now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong addresses a joint press conference with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 27, 2023. Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned after a little over a year in the position, state media VN Express reported. His resignation takes place amid an intense anti-corruption campaign that has hit the highest echelons of the Communist Party. Richard A. Brooks/AP hide caption

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Richard A. Brooks/AP

Vietnam's president resigns amid an intense anti-corruption campaign

Vo Van Thuong is the second president to resign in two years, a worrying sign for political stability in Vietnam, a country that plays a key role in the middle of U.S.-China competition, analysts say.

A cicada perches on a picnic table in front of Nolde Mansion in Cumru Township, PA in May 2021. New research shows that these insects urinate in a surprising way. Ben Hasty / MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images hide caption

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Ben Hasty / MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

Scientists studied how cicadas pee. Their insights could shed light on fluid dynamics

Cicadas, and the way they urinate, offer a 'perfect' lab for understanding fluid dynamics at very small scales, researchers say

Scientists studied how cicadas pee. Their insights could shed light on fluid dynamics

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Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Jan. 24. "We have confidence in the safety of our airplanes," Calhoun says. "And that's what all of this is about. We fully understand the gravity." Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

How bad is Boeing's 2024 so far? Here's a timeline

The aircraft-maker has faced renewed scrutiny this year, mostly going back to an incident when a rear door plug tore off a 737 Max 9. Things have compounded from there.

Fans wait outside Las Tinajas restaurant in San Francisco on March 8, 2024, hoping to meet and have their photo taken with Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios. Martin do Nascimento/KQED hide caption

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Martin do Nascimento/KQED

'It wasn't just a beauty pageant': Why Miss Universe's visit electrified Bay Area Nicaraguans

KQED

For many in the Nicaraguan diaspora, Sheynnis Palacios – who won the Miss Universe crown in November – has become a symbol of resistance against the country's government.

Michael Imperioli attends An Enemy Of The People conversation and press conference last November. Theo Wargo/Getty Images hide caption

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Theo Wargo/Getty Images

A divided town and politics vs. science: Michael Imperioli on why his play resonates

Actor Michael Imperioli talks about his Broadway debut in An Enemy of the People and the relevance of this adaptation of the play, roughly 150 years after the original.

A divided town and politics vs. science: Michael Imperioli on why his play resonates

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Azzam, 12, hugs a sheep, the only source of his family's livelihood in rural Damascus on Feb 21, 2022. Azzam and his family have experienced firsthand the harrowing impact of the conflict. In 2015, when Azzam was five years old, a shell fell on the building where he was sitting with his family. Hasan Belal for NPR hide caption

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Hasan Belal for NPR

Can a picture make you happy? We asked photographers and here's what they sent us

For International Day of Happiness, photographers sent us pictures of a Syrian boy who finds joy caring for farm animals, Ukrainian girls on a trampoline, music lovers grooving to the blues and more.

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