In the news

■ Kammeron Bennett, a motor carrier officer with the Michigan State Police, was able to rescue a 65-yearold Traverse City man from a freezing lake in East Bay Township with the help of the man’s dog, Ruby.

■ William Baker, a leading scientist from the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, said that knowledge of the Pinanga subterranea, a palm in Borneo, “is layered, and was already there before we even got anywhere near it,” as it was one of 74 plants named new to science in 2023.

■ Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was diagnosed with a malignant skin cancer that was discovered during breast cancer treatment when she had been undergoing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, according to a spokesperson.

■ Shawn Conlon, a 44-yearold man from Rhode Island, pleaded innocent in Vermont to second-degree murder in the death of Claudia Voight, the 73-year-old mother of an NBC Connecticut news anchor.

■ Sue Chan, founder of the Care of Chan event and marketing agency, said that “niche culture is on the rise,” as Burt’s Bees and Hidden Valley Ranch announced that they would be releasing a Dippers Lip Balm collaboration set with celery, carrot, Buffalo sauce and Hidden Valley Ranch flavors.

■ Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the president of Egypt, said, “No one should attempt to threaten Egypt’s brothers, especially if our brothers asked us to stand with them,” as he pledged his country’s support for Somalia amid its dispute with Ethiopia over seaport access.

■ Lincoln Restler, a New York City Council member, slammed the probation department after city records revealed Probation Commissioner Juanita Holmes purchased a luxury Ford Expedition with department funds, saying, “The Department of Probation has the wrong priorities, and this sale should be immediately reversed.”