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Florida Chef Saves Life of Missing Regular

He went to check on man who usually came in for gumbo twice a day

(Newser) - A regular at the Shrimp Basket in Pensacola, Florida, might not be alive today if it wasn't for his love of gumbo. Twice a day, every day, for 10 years, as regular as clockwork, 78-year-old Charlie Hicks walked into the the restaurant and ordered the same thing: gumbo, light...

Dick Van Dyke on Turning 100: 'You Want to Live More'

Mary Poppins star says a century on Earth 'is not enough'

(Newser) - Comedy icon Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday, hitting the century mark some six decades after he sang and danced with Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and starred in his self-titled sitcom. "The funniest thing is, it's not enough," Van Dyke said in an...

James Patterson Cuts a Check to 600 Booksellers

It's a $500 windfall for each

(Newser) - Melanie Moore, who runs the Ohio-based Cincy Book Bus, is one of hundreds of booksellers who received a pleasant surprise for the holidays: a check for $500 from author James Patterson. "I've never taken a salary. All profits from the bookstore go to buy books for kids in...

For 90 Minutes After Bear Attack, 911 Dispatcher Was Her Lifeline

Victoria Lytle, 67, thanks Alaskan first responders who hiked for miles to help her

(Newser) - A 67-year-old retiree who survived a brutal bear mauling in the Alaska backcountry this summer has finally reunited with the Anchorage first responders who saved her life. Victoria Lytle was hiking on the Anchorage Hillside in July when she heard barking—only to realize too late that it was a...

Drone Helps Rescue Hiker Stuck for Hours in Quicksand

Man was trapped up to his thighs in Arches National Park

(Newser) - Quicksand turned from movie trope to real hazard for a hiker in Utah over the weekend. Officials say a man trekking through Arches National Park on Sunday morning became stuck up to his thighs in quicksand and spent several hours trapped in below-freezing temps before rescuers managed to pull him...

Dog Escapes San Diego Home, Goes on Quite a Trip

Luckily, an Apple AirTag led to a happy ending for this black Lab mix, who was swept out to sea

(Newser) - A black Lab mix named Sadie is safe after a harrowing ordeal off the California coast, thanks to a surfer's sharp eye, determined rescuers, and a high-tech device. The 5-year-old dog slipped away from a San Diego home during a football game and ended up getting swept out to...

Americans Gave $4B on GivingTuesday 2025

More than 11M people volunteered on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving

(Newser) - Americans gave $4 billion to nonprofits on GivingTuesday in 2025, an increase from the $3.6 billion they gave in 2024, according to estimates from the nonprofit GivingTuesday. More people also volunteered their time on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving this year, which fell on Dec. 2 and has become a...

For UW's Med Lab Students, Burgers and a $50M Gift

Anonymous donor's infusion will cover students' senior-year tuition for clinical rotations for 50 years

(Newser) - A group of University of Washington students were called into a meeting on Monday and told to expect major news. "We thought we were going to be in trouble," jokes one student, but the opposite was true: It was announced that an anonymous donor had made a $50...

Toronto Hospital Gets 'Sweet Surprise' From Dodgers Fans

Fans donated around $30K to pediatric hospital after Blue Jays lost World Series

(Newser) - A classy move from Los Angeles Dodgers fans after their team's hard-fought World Series win:" Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, also known as SickKids, says Dodgers fans have donated around $30,000 since the victory, the Toronto Star reports. The move was inspired by a similar gesture...

After Cliffside Rescue, Dog 'Was Giving Everyone Kisses'

Pooch went over San Francisco bluff, perched on narrow ledge for 20 minutes before rescue

(Newser) - A pet dog fell off an oceanside bluff in San Francisco and spent more than 20 minutes clinging to a narrow ledge until firefighters came to his rescue, officials said. The brown and white dog was playing with another pooch on Tuesday at Fort Funston, a coastal park with steep...

Annunciation Shooting Survivor Heads Home to a Big Welcome

Sophia Forchas, 12, was greeted by classmates, family after release from hospital

(Newser) - Sophia Forchas, the 12-year-old critically wounded in the Annunciation Church shooting in August, was released from the hospital on Thursday to raucous applause and hugs from family, friends, and classmates. Forchas was one of at least 17 injured in the mass shooting that killed two. The AP notes that Sophia...

Quick-Thinking Mom May Have Prevented Tragedy

She helped evacuate 22 kids after spotting flames under school bus

(Newser) - A mother in Bethel, Minnesota, is being credited with helping avert a potential tragedy earlier this month after she spotted flames under a school bus as it was dropping off her 6-year-old daughter. "Right above the tire I just saw a burst of flame when I walked out,"...

They Raised the Trophy —Then Handed It Back
Basketball Team Raised the
Trophy—Then Handed It Back
in case you missed it
Oct 19, 2025 7:00 AM CDT

Basketball Team Raised the Trophy—Then Handed It Back

After learning of scoring error, Oklahoma girls team proves 'there are still good people'

(Newser) - A high school girls' basketball team in Oklahoma is getting great applause—not because they technically won a championship, but because they returned the trophy after discovering their win was due to a scoreboard error. The Academy of Classical Christian Studies, based in Oklahoma City, initially celebrated a dramatic 44-43...

She's 80—and Just Set an Ironman Record

Natalie Grabow, who only learned to swim at 59, says 'it's never too late' for a new challenge

(Newser) - As Natalie Grabow crossed the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii on Saturday, she heard the crowd chanting her name. The 80-year-old grandmother from New Jersey didn't even know how to swim until the age of 59, when she decided to tackle her first triathlon. Now,...

Dog Leads Cop Right to Missing Elderly Woman

Sheriff's deputy ran into Eeyore not far from where 86-year-old had fallen in Destin, Florida

(Newser) - A dog named Eeyore turned into a rescuer, leading a Florida sheriff's deputy to where a missing 86-year-old woman had fallen while walking him, bodycam footage shows. The woman's husband reported her missing on the night of Sept. 25 after she didn't return from her walk in...

College Freshman on Playing Football at 58: 'Never Too Late'

Tom Cillo is oldest member by far playing JV for Lycoming College in pursuit of long-held dream

(Newser) - At 58, Tom Cillo is rewriting the script on college football. This fall, the Lycoming College freshman—old enough to draw from his pension—took the field as a nose tackle, making him the oldest known NCAA Division III freshman in the trenches. Once burdened by "what ifs"...

Moose Gets Himself Stuck in Abandoned Well

Maine wardens free bull moose in complex 5-hour rescue

(Newser) - A bull moose that fell into an abandoned well in Maine was pulled to safety during an elaborate five-hour rescue. The operation happened Wednesday after Cole Brown, whose family owns the forested land in northern Maine, spotted a pair of antlers. He heard a noise and initially thought it was...

ChatGPT Helps Woman Nab $150K Powerball Win

Carrie Edwards, who used a bot to help her pick numbers in Virginia, is donating winnings to charity

(Newser) - After winning $150,000 in the Powerball lottery, Virginia's Carrie Edwards is making headlines—not for spending her windfall, but for giving every dollar away to causes close to her heart. Edwards, a widow and grandmother, snagged her prize after matching four numbers plus the Powerball in the...

2 Years After His Murder, Journalist's Fiancee Is Expecting His Baby

Reporter's sperm was retrieved after he was shot in 2023

(Newser) - The fiancee of a Florida journalist is expecting his baby—two and a half years after he was killed while reporting at the scene of a homicide . Casey Lyons, who was engaged to TV journalist Dylan Lyons when he was fatally shot in February 2023, made the announcement on social...

Baby Born at McDonald's Gets the Only Possible Nickname

Matilda, or Tilly, is now "McTilly"

(Newser) - What do you do when you give birth to a baby in a McDonald's parking lot? Nickname her "McTilly," of course. Alyce Rotunda of Michigan tells People that she was in labor with her fourth child in the wee hours of Aug. 11 when she and her...

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