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A woman taking a Memorial Day weekend stroll on a California beach found something unusual sticking out of the sand: a tooth from an ancient mastodon. Jennifer Schuh found the foot-long tooth on Friday on Rio Del Mar State Beach on California’s central coast. But Schuh wasn’t sure what she had found so she posted photos on Facebook, hoping someone could identify the strange object. Wayne Thompson of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History determined it was a mastodon tooth and went to the beach but couldn't find it. On Tuesday, Jim Smith of Aptos heard about the missing tooth. He told the museum he had picked it up while jogging and has donated it to the museum.

    A government audit has found that the U.S. agency charged with keeping the roads safe is slow to investigate automobile safety defects, limiting its ability to handle rapidly changing or severe risks. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation doesn’t have an integrated computer system for its probes. The audit made public Thursday from the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General found that the office has made progress in restructuring and modernizing its data and analysis systems. But it found that weaknesses in meeting the office's own goals for timely investigations increase possible delays in probing important safety issues.

      In recent years, national parks have experienced a surge in visitors, breaking previous records. The appeal is clear: they offer stunning vistas, chances to observe wildlife, enjoyable hikes, and more. While all national parks have something to offer children, certain parks excel in providin…

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