strange stuff

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

Stories 161 - 180 | << Prev   Next >>

Candidate Graciously Concedes—Hours Before Polls Close

Congressional campaign for Ohio's Derek Myers mistakenly sent premature email

(Newser) - Political candidates typically refuse to concede on election night until they know for sure every last vote that could help them has been counted. The GOP's Derek Myers, on the other hand, seemingly couldn't wait to get the results over with, accidentally sending out an email on Tuesday...

'Glitch' Allows Customers to Withdraw Millions They Don't Have

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia is trying to recoup the money

(Newser) - A "systems glitch" that persisted for hours on Saturday allowed customers of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia to withdraw more money than they had in their accounts, the bank says. By the time the bank was able to freeze transactions, more than $40 million had been withdrawn or transferred...

Pro Golfer's Putt Dropped in, Just Not Fast Enough

Austin Eckroat penalized a stroke after ball hung on the lip of hole for 45 seconds

(Newser) - Austin Eckroat appeared to sink a 20-foot birdie putt in dramatic, almost comical, fashion on Sunday at the Players Championship in Florida. But it ended up being for naught because of an obscure PGA rule—the ball hung on the lip of the hole too long.
  • The putt: Watch it
...

In Wales, a Monolith Mystery Emerges
Mystery Monolith
Emerges, 'Like
Some Sort of UFO'
in case you missed it
Mar 17, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

Mystery Monolith Emerges, 'Like Some Sort of UFO'

A 10-foot steel structure has popped up in Wales

(Newser) - As the world ponders what's going on with the Princess of Wales , another mystery has cropped up in the UK, in the form of a large metal monolith in the middle of the Welsh countryside. The Independent has footage of the odd 10-foot-tall structure, which it describes as sticking...

Town's Residents Warned About 'Abnormal' Cat

The cat is thought to have fallen in a chemical tank in Fukuyama, Japan

(Newser) - "Chemical kitty" might sound like the name of a punk band, but it's apparently a very real thing in one Japanese city. Fukuyama has warned its residents that it appears a cat fell into a tank of toxic chemicals at a metal plating factory and emerged covered in...

&#39;Hypervaccinated&#39; Man Floors Scientists
'Hypervaccinated' Man
Floors Scientists
in case you missed it
Mar 10, 2024 3:45 PM CDT

'Hypervaccinated' Man Floors Scientists

German patient was vaccinated 217 times against COVID, seemingly with no ill effects

(Newser) - Well, we know this guy definitely isn't afraid of needles. A German man has been found to have received 217 vaccinations for COVID-19, and he doesn't seem to be any worse for it. The BBC reports on the "bizarre" case of the 62-year-old out of Magdeburg, whose...

Trekkie Quirk Makes AI Chatbots Better at Math

Opening queries with a 'Star Trek' catchphrase yields more accurate results

(Newser) - Bet you didn't have this one on your AI bingo card. New research has found that when fed phrases that simulated being on the Starship Enterprise, chatbots spit out more accurate results to math problems. The study, published on arXiv and first reported by New Scientist , didn't set...

Police: Women Propped Up Dead Man in Car, Drove to Bank

The women allegedly withdrew money from Douglas Layman's account

(Newser) - It's a story that's drawing plenty of Weekend at Bernie's references: Police say two Ohio women drove their dead roommate's body—propped up in the car's front seat—to a bank's drive-through window on Monday in order to get money from his account. NBC...

Skiing Plus Rodeo = Wild Sport of 'Skijoring'

Saddle up!

(Newser) - Nick Burri clicks into his ski bindings, squats to stretch his knees, and scans the snowy racecourse. Moments later, he's zipping past a series of gates at high speed and hurtling off jumps. But it's not gravity pulling him toward the finish line: It's the brute force...

Wonka Debacle Is Being Made Into a Horror Flick

Its villain, 'The Unknown,' will star

(Newser) - Glasgow's unfortunate Wonka experience is coming back to haunt us, only this time in the form of a feature-length film. If you missed the story, the Scottish city experienced the children's version of Fyre Fest in February when parents forked over $45 per ticket to what was billed...

The Bellagio Turns Off Its Fountains for 'Exclusive Guest'

A rare yellow-billed loon has shown up on its lake

(Newser) - A visit from a rare, fine-feathered tourist has interrupted one of Las Vegas' prominent shows. The Bellagio said in a social media post Tuesday that it paused its fountains as it worked with state wildlife officials to rescue a yellow-billed loon that "found comfort on Las Vegas' own Lake...

Feds Find Goose Intestines Under Dead Rattlesnakes

Feds bust 6 for illegally importing gross stuff hidden under other gross stuff

(Newser) - Six people were arrested in New York on Tuesday on charges of illegally importing goose and duck intestines from China, in some cases by hiding them under packaged rattlesnakes or mislabeling them as pet grooming products on customs forms, federal officials announced. The scheme, which the AP reports also included...

Library Comes Up With Purrfect Way to Forgive Lost Books

Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts is granting amnesty if you bring in cat pics

(Newser) - A Massachusetts library has implemented a temporary—and arguably purrfect—forgiveness program for those who've lost or damaged materials they've borrowed. The New York Times reports on the "March Meowness" initiative currently happening at the Worcester Public Library: For this month only, borrowers whose library cards have...

&#39;Tumble-Mageddon&#39; Hits Utah Town
'Tumble-Mageddon'
Hits Utah Town
Mar 5, 2024 2:00 AM CST

'Tumble-Mageddon' Hits Utah Town

A wild number of tumbleweeds blew in

(Newser) - As a storm blew through Utah Saturday, it blew thousands of tumbleweeds through the streets of parts of Salt Lake County. Residents woke up to front yards full of tumbleweeds, cars covered in them, roads blocked by them, some piles reaching as high as 10 feet. "Luckily, it's...

Formula One Ferrari Swiped in 1995 Turns Up in 2024

British cops recover a sports car stolen long ago from F1 driver Gerhard Berger

(Newser) - A very fast car has made a very slow return. As the AP reports, British police said Monday they have recovered a Ferrari stolen from Austrian Formula One driver Gerhard Berger in Italy almost three decades ago. The red Ferrari F512M was one of two sports cars taken while their...

Police Horses on the Loose Cause Traffic Jam on Highway

Horses trotted against traffic down the interstate before being recovered by police

(Newser) - Drivers on an Ohio interstate came upon an unusual traffic hazard over the weekend—a pair of police horses trotting against traffic on the highway, the AP reports. The two animals on the lam caused an unusual traffic jam Saturday afternoon as they wove through slowing traffic and then stopped...

Isolated Staffers in Antarctica Show How New Accents Begin

During months of isolation, staffers at British Antarctic Survey began talking differently

(Newser) - Together through extreme isolation for months on end, wintering researchers in Antarctica develop close relationships—and, as one study found, a new way of talking, too. The BBC reports that over six months, staff members at British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) Rothera Research Station slowly began to pronounce certain words...

To Listen to This Song, You'll Have to Buy a Slice

Metal band Belushi Speed Ball's apparent industry first: a piece of pizza that plays group's new single

(Newser) - What goes better together than headbanging and pizza? Nothing as much as the latest production from Belushi Speed Ball, a thrash metal band that's come up with a most unique way to deliver its latest single. Gizmodo reports that the band—apparently named after the drug combo that helped...

Smuggling of Rare Butterflies Doesn't End Well for NY Man

Long Island man who labeled rare insects as 'wall decorations' pleads guilty

(Newser) - A Long Island man has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking bird-wing butterflies and other rare insects, according to a plea deal filed in Brooklyn federal court. Charles Limmer, 75, of Commack, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife into the country and agreed to pay a $30,...

Angry Farmers Organize Very Smelly Protest

Cops in Belgium get sprayed with liquid manure amid protests over EU policies

(Newser) - Farmers clashed with Belgium police on Monday, spraying officers with liquid manure and setting fire to tire piles in a fresh show of force as European Union agriculture ministers met in search of ways to address their concerns. Brussels police said 900 tractors entered the city, many bearing down on...

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