I robbed six banks out of desperation. Then I got greedy: the Kangaroo Bandit on crime, family

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  14 minutes  |  2800 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

US crimeInterview‘I robbed six banks out of desperation. Then I got greedy’: the Kangaroo Bandit on crime, family and regretMichael SegalovCain Vincent Dyer became one of the most prolific bank robbers in the US before handing himself in. He tells his remarkable story, from being in debt to a drug cartel to his attempts to wipe his slate clean From the driver’s seat of his car, pulled up outside a shopping plaza in Calabasas, California, Cain Vincent Dyer sat, casing a branch of Washington Mutual bank. [Read More]

Kofi Flexxx: Flowers in the Dark review jazz-hip-hop ensemble masterminded by Shabaka Hutchings

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  265 words  |  Aldo Pusey

‘Creative principle’ Kofi Flexxx.‘Creative principle’ Kofi Flexxx.The ObserverJazzReview(Native Rebel) The Sons of Kemet frontman joins forces with associates including Alex Hawkins and Daisy George in an expansive collaboration that’s more than the sum of its parts Native Rebel is the label run by Shabaka Hutchings (Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming, Shabaka and the Ancestors), who will be retiring his principal instrument, the tenor sax, at the end of the year. [Read More]

Magic: the Gathering fans heartbroken as $100,000 worth of cards found in Texas landfill

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  6 minutes  |  1134 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

TexasFans of the game that became a pop-culture phenomenon speculate value could be even higher, as rare cards draw steep prices The card game Magic: the Gathering is known for its dedicated fanbase – a community who gather together to play during Friday-night basement matches or during lunch period. The game involves casting spells and using creatures to attack your opponent but players can only gain those abilities from collecting a big variety of cards. [Read More]

New band of the week: Nova Twins (No 119) bass-heavy duo fusing grime and punk

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  986 words  |  Valentine Belue

Nova Twins (No 119) Photograph: Nova TwinsNova Twins (No 119) Photograph: Nova TwinsNew band of the weekMusicMeet the riot twins bored by sex and cyberspace, in love with bringing punk rock to a new audience The Guardian’s product and service reviews are independent and are in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. We will earn a commission from the retailer if you buy something through an affiliate link. [Read More]

One in 200 people is a slave. Why? | Global development

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  9 minutes  |  1797 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Slavery Photograph: Rafael Ben-Ari/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Stock PhotoSlavery affects more than 40 million people worldwide – more than at any other time in history by Kate HodalHow many slaves are there today, and who are they?The word “slavery” conjures up images of shackles and transatlantic ships – depictions that seem relegated firmly to the past. But more people are enslaved today than at any other time in history. Experts have calculated that roughly 13 million people were captured and sold as slaves between the 15th and 19th centuries; today, an estimated 40. [Read More]

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin - review | Children's books

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  3 minutes  |  453 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Children's booksChildren's booksThe Walled City by Ryan Graudin - review'this book is very much plot-based, evading the trap of trying to be poetic 'good writing' at the same time as being a gripping, suspenseful thriller'Ryan Graudin, The Walled CityThree forgotten children are living in the depths of the lawless Walled City, a violent world where drugs, brothels, gangs and mysterious disappearances are the norm. All three are searching for both freedom, and something else very close to their hearts. [Read More]

You wont find this on Capri: Italys Tremiti Islands

 Posted on May 6, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  839 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

Italy holidaysThis tiny archipelago off Puglia was once a penal colony, but today its clear waters, coves and quiet lanes offer a blissful escape The ferry from Termoli noses its way towards two petite islands, slipping into a serene Adriatic inlet. To the left, San Domino’s low limestone cliffs rise, crowned by Aleppo pines. To the right, the Abbazia di Santa Maria a Mare, an 11th-century abbey built by Benedictine monks, dominates the skyline of San Nicola. [Read More]

Bicycle graveyards: why do so many bikes end up underwater? | Cycling

 Posted on May 5, 2024  |  18 minutes  |  3829 words  |  Valentine Belue

The Canal Saint-Martin in Paris. Photograph: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty ImagesEvery year, thousands of bikes are tossed into rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. What’s behind this mass drowning? by Jody RosenEvery decade or so, the city of Paris drains the Canal Saint-Martin. The nearly three-mile-long waterway, which runs south across a swathe of the Right Bank, was originally constructed to keep Paris clean, supplying fresh water to a city plagued by cholera and dysentery. [Read More]

Eileen Colwell | Education | The Guardian

 Posted on May 5, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  764 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

EducationObituaryEileen ColwellGifted storyteller and creative pioneer of children's librariesA defining moment in the life of Eileen Colwell, who has died aged 98, came when she was just 11: children's libraries had not been thought of, and the only facility near her home in Rotherham was an indicator library, where the actual books were invisible and the hapless borrower was impelled to choose from a list of titles. When requested volumes were not available, as was often the case, the librarian doled out whatever book came to hand. [Read More]

If human sperm are microscopic, then are blue whale sperm larger? If so how large are they? | Notes

 Posted on May 5, 2024  |  1 minutes  |  112 words  |  Aldo Pusey

BIRDS AND THE BEESIf human sperm are microscopic, then are blue whale sperm larger? If so how large are they? Gary McLoud, Wiley City, Washington, USA "Proportionally the biggest sperm is from a kind of fruit fly and is longer by several times the male fly's own body." So, does he carry it around in a holdall then? Annie, Edinburgh, UK The Amazonian rangoola dwarf eared mouse has proportionally the largest sperm of any mammal while interestingly enough having the smallest testicles! [Read More]