Jennifer Peltz, Author at The Rapid City Post

A handler with a dog treat in his mouth adjusts his Ibizan hound's stance at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

7 dogs competing for Westminster’s show big prize Tuesday night

February 3, 2026

The Westminster Kennel Club is getting ready to crown its top dog. After two days, 2,500 dogs and more than 200 breeds, it will come down to seven canines vying Tuesday night for U.S. show dogs’ most coveted prize. Four finalists already have been chosen. There’s an Afghan hound named Zaida, a Lhasa apso called JJ, a Maltese named Cookie, and an old English sheepdog dubbed Graham. Three more rivals will be selected Tuesday night before they all face off at Madison Square Garden for the best in show prize.

A show dog named Valli gets groomed at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Couples at the Westminster show bond over dogs, and each other

February 2, 2026

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show spotlights bond between people and dogs. But reaching the United States’ premier canine event also can be about another kind of love. Just ask professional dog handlers Bill and Taffe McFadden. He’s a two-time Westminster-winning handler. She handled the second-place winner in 2019. He says it would be very hard to hard to do the job without someone just as vested in it. The McFaddens were back Monday for the 150th annual Westminster show. The multi-round, breed-by-breed competition is underway. Best in show gets awarded Tuesday night.

Emily Klarman, a Westminster Masters Agility Championship-winning dog handler, plays with Swish, a border collie, after a practice run at UDog Agility in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)

Wowed by the agility dogs at the Westminster show? A winning handler explains how it’s done

January 30, 2026

They have to run a convoluted a convoluted obstacle course in front of a convention-hall crowd. They have to have enough focus to avoid wrong turns, enough precision to ensure their feet touch certain spots and enough speed to beat dozens of rivals. So how do the dogs in Saturday’s Westminster Kennel Club agility competition do it? Last year’s winning handler, Emily Klarman, says the key is teamwork between the dogs and the handlers. This year, the agility competition kicks off the Westminster’s storied club’s milestone 150th dog show.

FILE -Run-D.M.C.'s Jason Mizell, Jam-Master Jay, poses with teenagers gathered at New York's Madison Square Garden, Oct. 7, 1986, in New York City. (AP Photo/G. Paul Burnett, File)

Man seeks to be freed after his conviction was tossed in Jam Master Jay murder case

January 30, 2026

A man whose conviction in the killing of Jam Master Jay was recently overturned is seeking release on a $1 million bond while prosecutors appeal. Karl Jordan Jr.’s attorneys argued in court papers Friday that circumstances have changed since the judge scrapped his murder conviction. Jordan also faces unrelated federal drug charges. Prosecutors declined to comment on the bond proposal, which includes electronic monitoring. Jam Master Jay, a key figure in Run-DMC, was killed in 2002. Jordan and co-defendant Ronald Washington were convicted in 2024, but Jordan’s conviction was overturned on Dec. 19 due to insufficient evidence. Washington’s conviction was upheld.

FILE - The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, left, holds Ch. Pugville's Golden Victory during judging of the pug class during the Westminster Kennel Club Show at Madison Square Garden in New York, Feb. 13, 1956, as the dog's owner, Arnold Canton, far right, and dog breeder Harriet Smith, look on. (AP Photo/Jacob Harris, File)

The Westminster dog show is turning 150. Here’s what has — and hasn’t — changed over time

January 30, 2026

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is celebrating a milestone. The 150th annual show opens Saturday and culminates with the best in show prize Tuesday night New York’s Madison Square Garden. What’s now the most famous dog show in the United States began when some 19th-century New York gentleman hunters organized an event to compare their dogs. That first show, in 1877, was no small thing, featuring about 1,200 dogs of dozens of breeds. This year’s show boasts 2,500 dogs, representing as many as 212 breeds and 10 “varieties.” Club President Donald Sturz says the trappings have changed over time, but the love of dogs remains the heart of the show.

FILE - Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan criminal court during his retrial, June 11, 2025, in New York. (Angela Weiss/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Harvey Weinstein says jurors were bullied into convicting him. A judge is set to rule

January 7, 2026

Harvey Weinstein is returning to a New York court. A judge is due to rule Thursday on the former movie mogul’s bid to get his latest sex crime conviction thrown out. Weinstein’s lawyers argue that the judge mishandled anger and apprehensions that flared among jurors during deliberations last spring. Prosecutors contend that the judge addressed the matter appropriately and that the criminal sex act conviction should stand. At the same trial last year, Weinstein was acquitted of another criminal sex act charge, and the jury didn’t decide on a rape charge. He denies all the charges.

Unleash the hounds! And terriers and lapdogs. The American Kennel Club adds 3 breeds

December 30, 2025

They’re ready to embark on 2026. Three more dog breeds joined the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday. One of the newcomers is the Teddy Roosevelt terrier, named for the former U.S. president. Another is the Russian tsvetnaya bolonka (zviht-NEYE’-ah boh-LON’-kah). It’s a lapdog developed in Soviet-era Russia. The third is a centuries-old French hunting hound called the basset fauve de Bretagne (bah-SAY’ fohve deh breh-TAHN’-yeh). The AKC now recognizes 205 breeds. Recognition means eligibility for many U.S. dog shows and can increase a breed’s visibility to the pet-loving public.

Sydney Galley pets a dog on a plane before passing it off to other volunteers, Nov. 23, 2025, at Culpeper Regional Airport in Brandy Station, Va. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

How Seuk Kim’s tragic plane crash built a volunteer army of pet rescuers

December 23, 2025

A group of volunteer pilots and animal lovers, known as Seuk’s Army, has been conducting weekly airlifts to rescue pets from overwhelmed Southern shelters. On a recent Sunday, they transported 117 animals, about twice the usual number, to mark the anniversary of member Seuk Kim’s tragic crash. Kim, who was passionate about flying and animal rescue, died when his plane went down last year. His legacy has inspired the group to expand its efforts. Seuk’s Army now transports two to three times as many animals as before, helping to save pets’ lives and open new foster possibilities.

FILE - New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani listens as President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Mamdani has a place in NYC history. But which place in a centuries-long list of mayors?

December 18, 2025

Zohran Mamdani can claim multiple firsts when he becomes New York’s mayor Jan. 1. He’s the first Muslim and first person of South Asian heritage elected to the office. Now he’s also poised to shape city history by being the 112th mayor, rather than 111th. That’s because a longstanding record-keeping oversight recently got attention. Essentially, the city government’s widely used list of mayors undercounted Matthias Nicolls, who was mayor for two nonconsecutive terms in the 1670s. After a tip from a historian, a city archivist looked into the matter and concluded that it appears Mamdani should be counted as the 112th mayor. Mamdani says he’s excited to be mayor, whatever the number.

Starbucks employees and supporters picket outside a Starbucks store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)

Starbucks to pay $35M to NYC workers in settlement as ongoing strike draws pols to picket line

December 2, 2025

New York City officials say Starbucks will pay about $35 million to more than 15,000 New York City workers to settle claims it denied them stable schedules and arbitrarily cut their hours. The settlement agreement was announced Monday. Hours later, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders visited striking baristas on a picket line. Starbucks also has agreed to pay $3.4 million in civil penalties as part of the New York City settlement. The company says the city law is complex but that Starbucks is committed to operating responsibly and complying with all applicable local laws and regulations. The developments come amid a continuing strike by the Starbucks’ union that began last month at dozens of locations nationwide.

FILE - A photograph of Etan Patz hangs on an angel figurine, as part of a makeshift memorial in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, May 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Prosecutors will retry man in death of Etan Patz, whose 1979 disappearance spotlighted missing kids

November 25, 2025

A notorious 1979 missing-child case will go to trial for a third time in New York City. Manhattan prosecutors vowed in a court filing Tuesday to retry the man whose murder conviction was recently overturned in the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz. Etan’s case fueled a national focus on child disappearances and abductions, and Etan was one of the first to appear on milk cartons. A new set of prosecutors will need to bring back witnesses and try to persuade another jury that Pedro Hernandez lured and killed the boy as he walked to his New York City school bus stop. Hernandez’s lawyers insist he is innocent.

FILE - New York City authorities work a crime scene of a deadly crash Friday, July 5, 2024, in the Lower East Side neighborhood in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, file)

Driver convicted of murder after his truck plowed into a July 4 barbecue in NYC, killing 4

November 3, 2025

A driver who crashed his pickup truck into a July Fourth barbecue and killed four people has been convicted of murder in the 2024 wreck in a New York City park. A Manhattan judge delivered the verdict Monday in Daniel Hyden’s case. At his trial, victims’ relatives, survivors and witnesses described how a holiday gathering of friends and relatives suddenly became a horrific scene when the truck jumped a curb, tore through a fence and barreled into the group. A text message seeking comment was sent to his attorney. Prosecutors argued that Hyden was drunk, was speeding and didn’t hit his Ford F-150’s brakes until far too late. Hyden’s lawyer suggested the 46-year-old New Jersey man had a foot injury that complicated his driving.

Chinese premier says US and his country need to ‘work in the same direction’

September 25, 2025

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has told a group of American business executives that the U.S. and his country need “to work in the same direction” to further what he called the most important bilateral relationship in the world. Li met Thursday in New York executives and others interested in U.S.-China relations. He said that their insights were valuable and their actions crucial. The largely closed-door hosted by two nonprofit groups, the U.S.-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Li was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s annual meeting of world leaders.

Paul Colford, longtime journalist and author who became top AP spokesman, dies at 71

September 3, 2025

Paul Colford, an inexhaustibly curious journalist and author who covered the media business for decades before becoming The Associated Press’ chief spokesperson, has died. He was 71. Colford, who retired from the AP in 2017, died Aug. 26 after a fall the previous month turned a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease into a rapid decline, said his wife, Anne LaBate. Despite his health problems, he was working even in recent months on his third book, about a notorious figure from his hometown of Jersey City, New Jersey. During a decade as AP’s director and ultimately vice president of media relations, Colford was known for his sage, unflappable handling of the news cooperative’s dealings with other media outlets.

FILE - A newspaper with a photograph of Etan Patz is seen on May 28, 2012, at a makeshift memorial in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, where Patz lived before his disappearance on May 25, 1979. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Prosecutors may appeal to US Supreme Court on 1979 missing child Etan Patz case

August 8, 2025

Prosecutors say they may appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to restore a murder conviction in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz. A federal appeals court recently overturned the conviction of Pedro Hernandez. He is the former shop clerk who became a suspect over 30 years after the New York City first-grader vanished. Prosecutors asked the appeals court Friday to hold off sending the case back to a lower-level federal judge to set a retrial date. A message seeking comment was sent to Hernandez’s lawyers. Hernandez already has been tried twice, as his 2017 conviction came after a prior jury couldn’t reach a verdict.

FILE - This undated image provided by the U.S. Department of State shows Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. (U.S. Department of State via AP)

US won’t seek death penalty for Mexican drug lords Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero

August 5, 2025

U.S. prosecutors won’t seek the death penalty in their cases against Mexican drug lords Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero. Prosecutors disclosed their decision in brief letters to judges on Tuesday. Caro Quintero and Zambada have pleaded not guilty to an array of drug trafficking charges. It is unclear whether taking the death penalty off the table signals any possibility of a plea deal with either or both men. Prosecutors declined to comment. The men’s lawyers welcomed the decision but were circumspect about what happens next. The prosecutions are separate, but they similarly target two of Mexico’s most notorious narcos.

The New York Post is seen at a newsstand in Manhattan, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)

Post to Coast: New York Post plans a California newspaper

August 4, 2025

The New York Post is launching a California tabloid newspaper and news site next year. The company announced the plan Monday. The California Post will add another title to Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. And the new paper stands to bring an assertive, irreverent and conservative-friendly fixture of the Big Apple media landscape to the Golden State. Plans for the Los Angeles-based paper call for a print edition seven days a week, plus a website, social media accounts and videos and audio pieces. The venture is being launched into a turbulent atmosphere for the news business. But the Post expects its voice, editorial lens and coverage will be a hit in California.

FILE - French bulldogs compete in breed group judging during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, May 13, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

PETA sues American Kennel Club over standards for French bulldogs, other breeds

July 8, 2025

The animal rights group PETA is suing to try to force the American Kennel Club to abandon the standards it backs for French bulldogs and some other breeds. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in New York, PETA contends that the influential club is promoting unhealthy physical features in Frenchies, bulldogs, dachshunds, pugs and Chinese shar-peis. The AKC says it categorically rejects PETA’s assertion that the standards create unhealthy dogs. The club also raps what it calls PETA’s “mischaracterizations” of the standards in question. The lawsuit turns up the heat around a debate over attributes that have been honed to define some breeds, including French bulldogs. The AKC ranks Frenchies as the United States’ most popular breed.

Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the ‘Worst Cooks in America,’ dies at 55

June 17, 2025

TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of “Worst Cooks in America,” has died. The Food Network confirms that the 55-year-old Burrell died Tuesday at her New York home. Medical examiners are set to determine what caused her death. Burrell worked in upscale New York City restaurants before beginning her two-decade television career on “Iron Chef America.” She started hosting “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” in 2008. She was known for bold and flavorful but not overly fancy dishes and for her 27 seasons on “Worst Cooks in America.”

Musk’s X sues New York over requirement to show how social media platforms handle problematic posts

June 17, 2025

Elon Musk’s X has sued to try to stop New York from requiring reports on how social media platforms define and handle problematic posts. The company sued Tuesday, after successfully challenging a similar measure in California. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed her state’s legislation late last year. The law is poised to take effect later this year. X maintains that the measure impinges on free speech rights and on a 1996 federal law that lets internet platforms moderate posts as they see fit. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office hasn’t immediately responded to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial at a Manhattan court, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, Pool)

Weinstein retrial nears end as lawyers argue: sexual predator or #MeToo ‘poster boy’?

June 3, 2025

Closing arguments are underway at Harvey Weinstein’s New York sex crimes retrial. His lawyer portrayed Weinstein Tuesday as the falsely accused “poster boy” of the #MeToo era. A prosecutor, on the other hand, said the former movie mogul preyed on less-powerful women he thought would never speak up. Closing arguments are due to conclude Wednesday. The majority-female jury is expected to start deliberations at some point in the day. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in 2013 and forcing oral sex on two others, separately, in 2006.

Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Friday, May 30, 2025 in New York. (Jefferson Siegel/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Harvey Weinstein doesn’t plan to testify at sex crimes retrial

June 1, 2025

An attorney for Harvey Weinstein says he doesn’t plan to testify in his New York sex crimes retrial. Lawyer Arthur Aidala says trial will move on to closing arguments Tuesday without Weinstein taking the stand. The former Hollywood honcho is being retried in the New York rape and sexual assault case because the state’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction. He denies the allegations. The 73-year-old didn’t testify at previous trials in New York and California.

For kids with autism, swim classes can be lifesaving

May 20, 2025

Some studies have shown that children with autism are more at risk of drowning. Experts say swimming instruction can help, but classes specifically designed for kids with autism aren’t always easy to get. One such class took place recently at the Small Fish Big Fish swim school in Florida. That’s a state where officials have documented more than 100 drownings of children with autism since 2021. The risk stems in large part from a propensity to wander off or underappreciate perils. Parents of children in the swimming class say they see it as potentially lifesaving.

Jennifer Peltz.