New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras, the indulgent conclusion of Carnival season

NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) – As people head back to work Tuesday after the long holiday weekend, beads will be flying, crawfish boiling and parades rolling in New Orleans as the city celebrates Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, marks the climax and end of the weekslong Carnival season and a final chance for indulgence before the Christian Lent period.

15-week 'Walk for Peace' concludes with Buddhist monks' arrival in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) – A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single file across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.

At 100, WWII veteran celebrates a life of service aboard Battleship New Jersey

ABOARD BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY (AP) – Aboard the Battleship New Jersey, surrounded by friends, family and the ship’s important legacy, John “Johnny Q” Quinesso Sr. marked a milestone: his 100th birthday.

What we can learn from lovebirds, the rare birds that mate for life

PHOENIX (AP) – Minutes after getting to a park in the middle of Phoenix, you can see flashes of green in the sky and hear chatter because love is in the air – or at least, the lovebirds are. The small parrots are transplants from the other side of the world that are thought to be descendants of pet birds. Arizona is believed to be home to the largest colony outside southwestern Africa.

What if just 1 in 10 people changed how they eat, drive, heat or shop?

Climate change is often viewed as an issue that’s too big for individual action to matter. But calculations show that when personal choices add up, the impact can be significant. The Associated Press looked at four everyday behaviors in the U.S. ranging from food and transportation to home energy and clothing.

Thailand uses birth control vaccine to curb its elephant population

BANGKOK (AP) – Thailand has begun using a birth control vaccine on elephants in the wild to try and curb a growing problem where human and animal populations encroach on each other – an issue in areas where farms spread into forests and elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat.

Can apes play pretend? Scientists use an imaginary tea party to find out

NEW YORK (AP) – By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend. They turn their bedrooms into faraway castles and hold make-believe tea parties.  The ability to make something out of nothing may seem uniquely human. Now, for the first time, an experiment hints that an ape in captivity can have an imagination.

New Catholic archbishop of New York seeks 'a church that builds bridges'

NEW YORK (AP) – Ronald Hicks is set to be installed Friday as the 11th archbishop of New York in a ceremony at the revered St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan where dignitaries and laypeople from all walks of life are expected to gather and celebrate.

Seed guardians of the Amazon: A family's fight to save endangered plants

ALTO ILA, Ecuador (AP) – On a recent journey into the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, Ramón Pucha realized he was being trailed. Fresh puma tracks now lined the path alongside his own footprints. Unfazed, he continued his trek, focused entirely on the precious cargo he carried – seeds from some of the world’s most endangered plant species.