TOKYO (AP) — The pet of choice in Japan, as much as cuddly kitties and playful puppies, is the humble bug.

The bug has been a key part of Japanese culture from the Heian era classic “The Tale of Genji” to popular modern-day manga and animation like “Mushishi,” featuring insect-like supernatural creatures.

Dana Murray climbed behind a professional drum set for the first time in the summer of 1983. He was 12 years old, perched behind a kit that felt a “mile high” on stage at Omaha’s old Civic Auditorium.

Hours later with a professional at the helm, those drums sounded the beat as Marvin Gaye sang “Sexual Healing” and other hits.

At U.S. President Donald Trump’s request, Congress voted in July 2025 to claw back US$1.1 billion it had previously approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That measure, which passed in the House and the Senate by very narrow margins, will cut off all federal tax dollars that would have otherwise flowed to PBS and its affiliated TV stations for the next two fiscal years.