strange stuff

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

Stories 641 - 660 | << Prev   Next >>

Candles and COVID: There's an Odd Correlation

Negative reviews of scented ones have risen amid the pandemic

(Newser) - It might be the weirdest red flag for a public health crisis ever: It seems that negative reviews for scented candles correlate with a spike in COVID cases, notes IFLScience.com . The apparent reason is that COVID sometimes causes people to lose their sense of smell, meaning that a person...

Man Says Ex-Boss Paid Him in 500 Pounds of Gross Pennies
He Paid Up in Pennies,
Now Faces Lawsuit
updated
Jan 7, 2022 4:15 PM CST

He Paid Up in Pennies, Now Faces Lawsuit

Federal government sues owner of body shop who gave worker last payment in the coins

(Newser) - Update: The US Department of Labor agrees that an auto body shop shouldn't have settled up with a former employee in pennies. So it filed a federal lawsuit Dec. 30 against Miles Walker and his A OK Walker Autoworks in Peachtree City, saying the dump was retribution after Andreas...

He's Running for President in S. Korea. Bald People Love Him

Lee Jae-myung is pushing government to pay for hair loss treatments

(Newser) - South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung isn't bald. But he is enjoying the support of many bald voters over his push for government payments for hair loss treatments. Since his proposal was disclosed earlier this week, hair loss has emerged as a hot-button topic ahead of March's presidential...

Meteor Likely Exploded Over Pittsburgh on New Year's Day

Happy 2022!

(Newser) - Residents of suburban Pittsburgh were startled on the first day of the new year by a large boom, which even shook homes. It was heard and felt throughout much of western Pennsylvania, CBS Pittsburgh reports. After much speculation (earthquake? bomb? thunder? demolition?) the National Weather Service tweeted later on Saturday...

Fixing His Tesla Would Cost $22K. So He Blew It Up
Told His Tesla Needed a $22K
Battery, He Blew It Up Instead
in case you missed it
Jan 2, 2022 4:30 PM CST

Told His Tesla Needed a $22K Battery, He Blew It Up Instead

Finnish man Tuomas Katainen teamed up with a YouTuber to get the job done

(Newser) - The first 932 miles were good miles for a Finnish man and the used 2013 Tesla Model S he bought. That's when a series of error codes began popping up, which led Tuomas Katainen to take the car to a Tesla dealer for repairs. The news he got was...

Bank Trying to Claw Back $175M in Mistaken Payouts

Santander in the UK is having a bad week

(Newser) - Some UK customers of Santander bank had an unexpectedly nice Christmas. The bank, not so much. It seems a glitch related to scheduled payments resulted in the bank mistakenly paying out a total of $175 million to 2,000 individuals and businesses, reports the Guardian . "We're sorry that...

Squirrel That Menaced Town Meets Unfortunate End

Stripe allegedly bit 18 people in the Welsh town

(Newser) - A squirrel that apparently terrorized a town in Wales has been put down, and the Guardian has the odd story. The animal dubbed Stripe—a nod to the creature of the same name in the movie Gremlins—had initially been fed by a 65-year-old local. But what began as a...

This Could Take Cooking Shows to Weird New Level

Japanese researcher invents a lickable screen

(Newser) - A Japanese researcher is generating headlines for his odd invention—a TV that allows you to lick the screen and taste different flavors. The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV) is yet "another step towards creating a multi-sensory viewing experience," reports Reuters . It makes use of built-in canisters...

Squirrels Force Change of Plans in Holiday Lights

St. Paul squirrels like to eat the wiring at a local park

(Newser) - A troop of hungry squirrels has put the kibosh on a downtown St. Paul park's holiday lights display. Friends of Mears Park had to forego the usual display this year because squirrels chewed through the lights' wires last year and the vendor refused to put up with the headache...

Surprise Discovery After Florida Rollover: 2 Gators

2 teens are arrested for illegally poaching them

(Newser) - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission doesn't typically respond to the scene of auto accidents. But in this case, there were two good reasons: a pair of large alligators "hanging from the rear window of an SUV resting on its side," the commission explains in a...

It Began With a Bobby Pin. Now She Has a New Home

TikTokker Demi Skipper describes 'surreal' trading spree that nabbed her a Nashville abode

(Newser) - A few months into the coronavirus pandemic, Demi Skipper offered up a bobby pin for trade. She's been trading up ever since, acquiring an Xbox, a diamond necklace, and several cars. But the 30-year-old San Francisco resident, who amassed 5 million followers while documenting her trades with strangers on...

Homeowner's Attempt to Smoke Out Snakes Torches Home

At least they got rid of the snakes

(Newser) - A Maryland homeowner's Nov. 23 attempt to use smoke to dispense with a snake infestation was incredibly successful--but they managed to get rid of most of their house, as well. Per Fox 5 DC , Montgomery County fire officials said the owner of the home in the Poolesville area apparently...

Shellshocked Docs Call Bomb Squad for Man With Ordnance in Rectum

Memorabilia collector says he slipped and fell

(Newser) - A man went to an emergency room in Gloucester, England, with a WWII artillery shell lodged in his rectum. To be clear, it was a recent acquisition and hadn’t been there since WWII. The man said he “slipped and fell” and instead of skinned knee somehow wound up...

A Model Died After an LA Party. Now Her Friend Is Brain-Dead
2nd Woman Dumped
at LA Hospital Dies
UPDATED
Dec 4, 2021 6:00 AM CST

2nd Woman Dumped at LA Hospital Dies

Death of Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26, follows that of her friend, Christy Giles-Cilliers

(Newser) - Update: A young architect declared brain-dead last month after being mysteriously dropped off at a Los Angeles hospital two weeks earlier has died, reports KTLA . Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26, had been on life support. A spokesperson with the LA County coroner's office confirms the death to E! News , which...

White Whale Spotted, Caught On Video Near Jamaica

Dutch sailor managed to film a short video

(Newser) - Sperm whales aren’t exactly common—the vulnerable species was hunted almost to extinction between the 1800s and 1980s. White ones are even rarer, with only a few spotted in the last 20 years or so. The number of total sightings—not counting Moby Dick of literature—is vanishingly small...

61 People Stuck in Pub After Storm
Last Guests Leave
Snowed-in Pub
UPDATED
Nov 30, 2021 4:06 PM CST

Last Guests Leave Snowed-in Pub

Storm Arwen hit UK last week, trapping 61 pubgoers for days

(Newser) - Update: And then there were none. The BBC on Tuesday reported the last two of the 61 people stranded at a British pub over the weekend have left. Though most of those who were snowed in at the Tan Hill Inn in North Yorkshire on Friday managed to leave Monday...

Top Snooker Player Takes Ill-Timed Nap

Mark Williams nods off during UK Championship, goes on to lose

(Newser) - Still feeling the effects of the coronavirus, a top snooker player fell asleep in the middle of his match in one of the most prestigious events in the sport, per the AP . "My head went down and I woke up and I didn't have a clue where I...

Malawi Has an Unusual Offer for Mike Tyson

The country wants him as its new cannabis ambassador, but his rape conviction hovers

(Newser) - In "something we weren't expecting" news this week, Mike Tyson has been asked to be an ambassador. Specifically, the cannabis ambassador for the African nation of Malawi, which hopes that the former world heavyweight champ's brand will help bring investors to its nascent medicinal pot industry. "...

After 3 Years, Mystery of Whale Postcards Is Solved

Attorney Matthew Strugar was the subject of a friendly prank for 3 years

(Newser) - If anyone deserves to get a postcard from a whale, it's Matthew Strugar, a civil rights attorney who made headlines several years ago by suing SeaWorld on behalf of the animals. The case, while unsuccessful, served the larger purpose of raising awareness about conditions and cemented Strugar's role...

Librarians Stunned by Book Due More Than a Century Ago

'New Chronicles of Rebecca' turns up in Boise after 110 years

(Newser) - A book returned to an Idaho library was so long overdue that there was no record of it in the catalog. The book, New Chronicles of Rebecca, a sequel to the classic Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, was originally checked out from the Carnegie Public Library in Boise in 1910. It...

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