strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

Stories 201 - 220 | << Prev   Next >>

Congressman Learns Capitol Dome Isn't His Personal Gym

Report filed against GOP's Rich McCormick of Georgia for 'unsafe' pullups hundreds of feet high

(Newser) - The last thing that officials at the US Capitol need is a visitor jumping over a guardrail and getting in a workout hundreds of feet in the air—and not just any visitor, but a sitting US congressman. That's what apparently happened Tuesday when Georgia Republican Rick McCormick was...

500-Pound Stuffed Polar Bear Stolen

Canadian authorities are asking the public to keep an eye out for suspicious online sales

(Newser) - It was so cold at Canada's Lily Lake Resort on January 22 that security patrols at the hotel were canceled—so an opportunistic group of thieves broke in and stole a 500-pound, 12-foot-tall stuffed polar bear. Somehow no one even noticed the massive animal, which had undergone taxidermy, was...

285-Year-Old Lemon Sold at Auction
285-Year-Old Lemon
Sold at Auction
Jan 31, 2024 3:00 PM CST

285-Year-Old Lemon Sold at Auction

It fetched $1,780 after British auction house found it in old chest

(Newser) - A lemon that was ripe when George Washington was a child fetched $1,780 at an auction in the UK. Auctioneers didn't have any problem establishing that the fruit was 285 years old: It was inscribed with the message "Given By Mr P Lu Franchini Nov 4 1739...

Woman Falls in Dumpster, Gets Compacted by Trash Truck

New Hampshire resident was compacted 4 times and survived

(Newser) - A woman fell into a dumpster while throwing out her garbage and was later rescued from a trash truck that had compacted the contents while she was inside, fire department officials in New Hampshire said. Luckily, neighbors heard her screams, and the trash compartment was equipped with a camera, reports...

Cops: She Tried to Kill Husband Over Note From Old Flame

Florida's Bertha Yalter charged with attempted murder in what lawyer claims is an overreaction

(Newser) - Getting in touch with an old flame could have deadly consequences, according to Florida police, who allege a woman tried to kill her husband of 51 years after he received a postcard from a lover of six decades previously. Upon learning of the note, Bertha Yalter, 71, tried to smother...

Colorado Woman: I Didn't Want to Run for President, Don't Vote for Me

Krystal Gabel says she didn't give her OK to be a presidential candidate in Minnesota primary

(Newser) - Krystal Gabel of Colorado is currently a candidate for president of the United States in the Minnesota primary—which came as a big surprise to Krystal Gabel. WDAY describes Gabel as a cannabis activist whose name was entered as a candidate by a Minnesota third party for the March 5...

Tampa Residents Raise Money to Figure Out Funky Sound

Scientist aims to prove the bass noise is made by a certain type of fish mating in Tampa Bay

(Newser) - Some residents in Tampa are raising money to figure out once and for all the source of a funky, low-bass sound that keeps them up at night. Meanwhile, some fish in Tampa Bay are preparing to blush. Because, as Fox13 explains, the best guess is that the sound is being...

Zoo Tries New Tactic With Its Foul-Mouthed Parrots

8 swearing birds get integrated with the rest of the flock

(Newser) - There's nothing like cussing parrots to take the family fun out of a visit to the zoo. That was the predicament England's Lincolnshire Wildlife Park faced in 2020, when it took in five African gray parrots who could be mistaken for the love children of a sailor and...

Someone Really, Really, Really Wanted These Stanley Products

Police say California woman stuffed 65 of much-coveted drinking vessels into car without paying

(Newser) - Stanley drinking vessels are the hot fad at the moment, but someone may have become a bit too obsessed. Police in Roseville, California, last week announced that an arrest was made after workers at a local retail store spotted a woman leaving the establishment with a shopping cart crammed with...

Feds Unamused by Highway Sign Puns
Feds Unamused by
Highway Sign Puns
Jan 20, 2024 3:10 PM CST

Feds Unamused by Highway Sign Puns

New guidance is winding down clever safety messages within the next 2 years

(Newser) - If you enjoy the occasional wild highway sign urging you to "Camp in the woods, not the left lane," sadly, you'll have to get your dad jokes elsewhere. The Federal Highway Administration (part of the Department of Transportation) has weighed in on whether electronic safety billboards on...

Builder Finds Out Why Not to Name Homes After Anne Frank

Or Harriet Tubman, per resurfaced listings that are taking some heat

(Newser) - It's admittedly a challenging job to write compelling real estate copy, in the hopes of inspiring potential customers to buy. One New Mexico homebuilder, however, may have gone a little overboard in its descriptions of two home designs that have "baffled" those who've seen them, per the...

This City Wants Space Aliens to Come Visit

Coded message sent to TRAPPIST-1 solar system welcoming ETs to Lexington, Kentucky

(Newser) - If you've never visited Lexington, the Kentucky city wants your business—especially if you're from out of this world. That's why the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau (aka VisitLEX) beamed a message in October to the TRAPPIST-1 solar system, described by VisitLEX as "home to the...

Mouse Caught Tidying Up Man&#39;s Workbench


Mouse Busted
Tidying Up
Man's Bench
at Night
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 13, 2024 6:00 AM CST

Mouse Busted Tidying Up Man's Bench at Night

'I don't bother to tidy up now, as I know he will see to it'

(Newser) - An industrious mouse in Wales has gained fame for his housekeeping prowess. Rodney Holbrook couldn't figure out why small objects left on a workbench in his shed kept returning to a box overnight, seemingly of their own accord. He set up a camera and discovered that the little critter...

Oscar Mayer Has a Tremendous Career Opportunity for You

Apply now to drive the Wienermobile—just don't get your hopes up

(Newser) - If you're looking to travel the country in one of the doofier rides out there and make new friends with an appreciation for highly processed meat, well, Oscar Mayer has just the gig for you. As USA Today reports, one of the nation's biggest names in hot dogs...

Unsurprisingly, &#39;Hitler&#39; Bug Is Causing a &#39;Ferocious Debate&#39;
This Bug's Scientific Name
Is Causing a Big Uproar
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 6, 2024 4:20 PM CST

This Bug's Scientific Name Is Causing a Big Uproar

'Anophthalmus hitleri,' aka the 'eyeless Hitler' beetle, is now the subject of 'ferocious debate'

(Newser) - Slovenia: home to former first lady Melania Trump, "breathtaking" landscapes , and one of the most controversial insects on the planet. Not that the Anophthalmus hitleri ground beetle is inherently a troublemaker—but, as you may have surmised from its longer scientific moniker, its designation as the "eyeless Hitler"...

If You Think You've Had a Scary Flight, This May Beat It

Alaska Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Oregon after panel flies off, leaving huge hole

(Newser) - A flight from Oregon took a frightening turn as the weekend kicked off, though no one was hurt. KING 5 reports that the Alaska Airlines plane out of Portland International Airport on Friday afternoon—a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet headed to Ontario, California—was forced to turn around and...

By Returning What He Stole in 1999, Thief Revealed Himself

He used his credit card to pay to ship the gold-painted weathervane back

(Newser) - A thief returned what he stole more than two decades ago anonymously—but he didn't remain anonymous for long. AFP reports a gold-painted weathervane that sat atop a Catholic cross in southwestern France was taken from its perch in April 1999. Over the years, historian Michel Sabatery wrote about...

Andrew Lloyd Webber Once Had a Poltergeist Problem

He said he had to call on a priest to help

(Newser) - Andrew Lloyd Webber once had to call on a priest to rid his home of a pesky spirit. In a recent interview with the Telegraph , the Phantom of the Opera composer was asked whether any of the six London theaters he owns are haunted. The Guardian reports the question wasn'...

UK Police Investigate Girl's Virtual Rape

Traumatic VR attack and others like it could spawn new laws prohibiting such behavior

(Newser) - Police in the UK have launched what's believed to be the first investigation of an alleged virtual rape. A girl younger than 16 was using a virtual reality (VR) headset when avatars controlled by adult men attacked her avatar, causing what a senior officer describes as "psychological trauma...

Chinese Chess Champ Loses Crown Over Pooping Incident

Yan Chenglong, accused of cheating with anal beads, defecated in hotel tub

(Newser) - There's playing dirty, and then there's celebrating dirty, and allegations of both have gotten the newly crowned king of Chinese chess unceremoniously dethroned. As AFP reports, Yan Chenglong on Dec. 17 won the national title of "Xiangqi King," or king of Chinese chess, a hugely popular...

Stories 201 - 220 | << Prev   Next >>