7:24 p.m. EDT National News Brief

Video shows dog chewing on a lithium-ion battery and sparking house fire in Oklahoma

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A dog chomping on a lithium-ion battery sparked a house fire in Oklahoma and video of the moment is now being used by a fire department to show the potential dangers of those batteries. The footage was posted online last week by the Tulsa Fire Department and shows the dog gnawing on the battery on a living room floor. Another dog and a cat are nearby as sparks erupt and cushions on the floor are suddenly set ablaze. The fire department said the Tulsa-area home was significantly damaged by the fire in May but the two dogs and the cat escaped through a pet door and were unharmed.

Rapper Nelly is arrested for suspected drug possession at St. Louis-area casino

Rapper Nelly has been arrested for suspected illegal drug possession at a St. Louis-area casino. The Missouri Highway Patrol said officers found four ecstasy pills on him before his arrest at about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday. The 49-year-old rapper was held by police in Maryland Heights and then released. Maryland Heights is home to the casino where Nelly was found with the pills. An online Highway Patrol report also said Nelly had an outstanding warrant on a previous charge of not having proof of vehicle insurance. His birth name is Cornell Haynes II and he grew up in the St. Louis area. A representative said his attorney planned to issue a statement.

Crew of Titan sub knew they were going to die before implosion, according to more than $50M lawsuit

The family of a French explorer who died in a submersible implosion has filed a more than $50 million lawsuit, saying the crew experienced “terror and mental anguish” before the disaster and accusing the sub’s operator of gross negligence. Paul-Henri Nargeolet was among five people who died when the Titan submersible imploded during a voyage to the famed Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic in June 2023. No one survived the trip aboard the experimental submersible owned by OceanGate, a company in Washington state that has since suspended operations. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday. A spokesperson for OceanGate has declined to comment on it.

NCAA hands former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh a 4-year show cause order for recruiting violations

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The NCAA says former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had impermissible contact with recruits and players while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has handed him a four-year show-cause order if he wants to return to college coaching. The NCAA says Harbaugh engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations. Harbaugh left the national-championship winning Wolverines to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. The NCAA has already given Michigan three years of probation, a fine and recruiting limits in the same case.

Jury finds man guilty of sending 17-year-old son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock

COMPTON, Calif. (AP) — A Los Angeles County jury has found a man guilty of sending his 17-year-old son to kill rapper PnB Rock. The jurors convicted 42-year-old Freddie Trone of one count of murder and two counts of robbery on Wednesday. Both sides at the two-week trial agreed that the teen who has not yet been tried walked into Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles in 2022 and shot the Philadelphia hip-hop star while robbing him of his jewelry. The prosecution said he was acting on his father’s orders while the defense said Trone was only an accessory after the fact.

Bet365 ordered to refund $519K to customers who it paid less than they were entitled on sports bets

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Online gambling company bet365 must refund more than a half-million dollars to customers who won bets, but were paid less than they were entitled to when the company unilaterally changed the odds while making the payouts. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement ordered the British company to refund over $519,000 to 199 customers who were shorted on the payouts they received after winning their bets. The company says it changed the odds due to what it called “obvious error.” But the state says any company wanting to void or alter payouts must seek approval from the agency before doing so.

Disney’s streaming business is profitable for first time, but slowing US park business ups anxiety

Disney returned to a profitable third quarter as its combined streaming business started making money for the first time, along with a very strong showing in theaters for the movie “Inside Out 2.” The company said Wednesday that operating income for the entertainment segment, which includes its movie studio and parts of its television wing, nearly tripled to $1.2 billion. Disney’s run at the box office continues with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” giving the company the top two films of the year. Disney said Wednesday that its direct-to-consumer business, which includes Disney+ and Hulu, reported a quarterly operating loss of $19 million, which was much smaller than its loss of $505 million a year earlier.

Sea turtles strandings have increased dramatically. Congress might create a fund to bail them out

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Sea turtle strandings have ticked up at an alarming rate in New England, but now the reptiles are close to receiving a lifeline from Congress to help them stay in the water. Congress is nearing passage of the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, which would create a new $33 million federal grant program to fund institutions around the country that rescue, rehabilitate and research stranded turtles. The aid would arrive as scientists and federal authorities are sounding the alarm that an increasing number of cold-stunned turtles are washing up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, likely as a result of climate change.

Suga of K-pop sensation BTS fined for driving while drunk. What he was driving causes confusion

SEOUL (AP) — Suga, a member of K-pop sensation BTS, apologized for driving an electric vehicle while intoxicated. His label, Big Hit Music said Min Yoon-gi, famously known as Suga, was driving an “electric kickboard” when he fell while parking it. A police officer spotted him and administered a breathalyzer test which Suga failed, leading to his license being revoked and a fine, the label added. An electric kickboard refers to a type of vehicle without a seat. However, police told local media Wednesday Suga’s vehicle had a seat and resembled an electric scooter under traffic law. The type of vehicle will affect the penalty the popular star will face.

How Lahaina’s more than 150-year-old banyan tree is coming back to life after devastating fire

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The deadly wildfire that tore through Lahaina last August scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town’s Front Street. The chair of the Maui County Arborist Committee says about half of the tree’s branches have died. But thanks to the efforts of arborists and volunteers, parts of the sprawling, 60-foot tree are healthy and growing back. Those efforts have included installing sensors on the tree to monitor the flow of sap, and developing plans to install compost tubes and an irrigation system. According to Sparkman, some branches now have hundreds of leaves, and are even producing fruit.

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