strange stuff

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

Stories 321 - 340 | << Prev   Next >>

Surprise! Zoo Gorilla, Thought to Be Male, Births Baby

Columbus Zoo keepers were surprised to find Sully holding a newborn

(Newser) - For five years, the Columbus Zoo has believed one of its western lowland gorillas, Sully, was a male. On Thursday, the zoo found out in a very surprising way that it's been wrong this whole time—when zookeepers found 8-year-old Sully holding her newborn baby girl, UPI reports. As...

Unfortunately for Rescuers, Lightning Struck Twice

Two people were zapped helping Swiss victims of earlier lightning strike; they weren't seriously hurt

(Newser) - Everyone knows lightning never strikes twice. But a Swiss police officer and a helicopter pilot now beg to differ with that old saw. Both were zapped while helping two victims of an earlier lightning strike, reports the Local . Fortunately, the two rescuers were not seriously hurt, say police. As the...

Lana Del Rey Spotted Working at a Waffle House

Nobody is quite sure what's going on regarding the odd Alabama job

(Newser) - The day's dose of celebrity weirdness comes courtesy of singer Lana Del Rey, who was spotted working as a waitress—nametag and all—at a Waffle House in Florence, Alabama, reports Al.com . The 38-year-old hasn't explained the reason she took a shift at the restaurant, though Insider...

Things Got Truly Nasty on I-95 in Connecticut

Human excrement leaking from a truck caused crashes

(Newser) - Traffic got nasty on a stretch of I-95 in Connecticut on Monday night—quite literally. A northbound tractor-trailer that was leaking human excrement as it traveled caused a number of crashes around 10:30pm, with police saying 10 vehicles ended up being impacted by the waste. The New York Daily ...

A Weird Fight Over Phrase 'Taco Tuesday' Is Over

Taco John's gives up legal battle against Taco Bell

(Newser) - It was one of the more unusual trademark fights on the books, revolving around the phrase "Taco Tuesday." The chain Taco John's had it trademarked for decades, and the much larger chain Taco Bell filed a formal challenge to the trademark earlier this year, reports the Wall ...

Motorcycle Crash, House Fire, Cancer: This Is a Bad Day

Iowa's Wendy Hansen is trying to keep in mind the silver lining of that diagnosis

(Newser) - It's one to remember when you think you're having a rough day: Earlier this month, Wendy Hansen of Iowa lost her home to a fire, crashed her motorcycle while racing to said fire, then was diagnosed with cancer while being treated for the injuries in that motorcycle crash,...

Cops: Impaired Driver Had Baby Raccoon in Car

Canadian man faces charges including having cannabis readily available

(Newser) - Police in Canada say an allegedly impaired driver was arrested before any harm came to him or his unusual passenger—a baby raccoon. "Huntsville officers arrested a male for impaired operation of a vehicle," the Ontario Provincial Police tweeted Wednesday. "The male had a baby raccoon with...

Zoo Cracks Down on Gorilla's Screen Time

It seems they really like visitors' cellphones

(Newser) - If you've ever had a kid, spouse, or decidedly boring date you couldn't drag away from their phone, the Toronto Zoo can commiserate. The Toronto Star reports that visitors have for some reason felt the urge to show Nassir the gorilla videos on their cellphones. "Nassir is...

Hear the &#39;Most Wimbledon Warning Ever&#39;
Hear the 'Most Wimbledon
Warning Ever'
video

Hear the 'Most Wimbledon Warning Ever'

Umpire asks spectators not to uncork Champagne as a player is serving

(Newser) - Where and when to pop your Champagne is such a Wimbledon problem. For example, someone got the timing wrong over the weekend at the oldest Grand Slam tournament, where the bubbly helps wash down the strawberries and cream, per the AP . "Ladies and gentlemen, please, if you are opening...

&#39;Whale Vomit&#39; Inside Beached Whale Is Worth $550K
Scientist Probes Whale's
Cause of Death, Finds
a Weird Treasure
in case you missed it

Scientist Probes Whale's Cause of Death, Finds a Weird Treasure

Ambergris, produced by just 1% of sperm whales, is highly desired by perfumers

(Newser) - Suspecting a beached sperm whale's death was caused by a digestive problem, a Canary Islands scientist investigated ... and discovered nearly $550,000 worth of so-called "floating gold" inside the doomed animal. Ambergris—also called by the somewhat less appealing nickname " whale vomit "—is a waxy...

Wimbledon: Stop Hooking Up in Our &#39;Quiet Rooms&#39;
Wimbledon: Stop Hooking Up
in Our 'Quiet Rooms'
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Wimbledon: Stop Hooking Up in Our 'Quiet Rooms'

Tournament organizer warns patrons to stop having sex in rooms meant for reflection

(Newser) - Wimbledon has so-called quiet rooms at the stadium complex, intended to be used by visitors for, well, quiet things like prayer and meditation. Problem being, as the Telegraph reports, that said rooms are being used for decidedly unquiet purposes, with visitors to last year's tournament reporting people emerging with...

Cocaine May Have Been Found in the White House

Discovery by Secret Service prompted a brief evacuation over the weekend

(Newser) - A strange thing happened last weekend: The White House was briefly evacuated on Sunday evening after the Secret Service discovered what it would describe only as an "unknown object," reports Fox News . Now the Washington Post appears to have discovered what the "unknown object" was: cocaine. Authorities...

Officers Allegedly Jail Son, 3, for Potty Problems

Florida dad reportedly claimed an investigation into the incident was 'insane'

(Newser) - Two Florida police officers reportedly thought the proper way to respond to their toddler's potty-training problems was to handcuff the boy and put him in jail. Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety launched an internal investigation following the October incident involving Lt. Michael Schoenbrod and Det. Sgt. Jessica...

This Handbag Is Expensive, Not Very Practical

Microscopic Louis Vuitton replica goes for $63K at auction by Joopiter

(Newser) - As handbags go, it's on the small side, as in "barely visible to the human eye," as CNN puts it. Nevertheless, the microscopic replica of a Louis Vuitton design has sold for $63,000 at the auction house Joopiter . CNN's line is not an exaggeration: The...

Cops: He Robbed Her, Then Sent Her a Facebook DM

'Look just know imma pay you back,' Damien Boyce allegedly messaged victim hours later

(Newser) - Many of us have received Facebook friend requests we'd rather not accept. But for one Indiana woman, that wariness reached new levels after the man accused of robbing her at gunpoint made her add him on the social network, then later DMed her to ask her to hang out,...

Teacher Fired for Skipping Work for 20 Years

'Sorry, but right now I'm at the beach,' Italian teacher tells reporters

(Newser) - If skipping work was an Olympic sport, Cinzia Paolina De Lio could have brought home a lot of gold medals for Italy. She was hired to teach literature and philosophy at a high school near Venice, but education authorities say she was absent for 20 of the 24 years she...

He Waited Out 18-Hour Delay, Had a Wild Flight

Persistent North Carolina real estate agent gets the flight to himself, has some fun

(Newser) - Sometimes persistence pays off—in the form of basically a private flight home. Such is the case of Phil Stringer, who booked what ended up becoming a much delayed flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, North Carolina, that was scheduled to leave at 6:30am Sunday. After at least seven...

Real-Life Happy Gilmore Hears From Adam Sandler

Young golfer in Indiana goes by that name, will play in college

(Newser) - For the record, his given name is Landon Gilmore. But the teenage Indiana golfer has been going by "Happy Gilmore" since he was a little kid because he can hit the ball like the fictional player of that name in Adam Sandler's 1996 movie , per the Indianapolis Star ...

Restaurant&#39;s Fake Priest Just Cost It $140K
Restaurant's
Fake Priest Just
Cost It $140K
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Restaurant's Fake Priest Just Cost It $140K

California eatery had workers confess their 'sins' in 'most shameless' plot to intimidate them, per DOL

(Newser) - It may have seemed a bit unconventional for a priest to show up at their place of employment to offer confession, but workers at the Taqueria Garibaldi restaurant in Sacramento took the holy man up on the chance to admit their "sins." Now, the owners of the Northern...

New York City Landlord Has an Unusual Restriction

No cooking of meat or fish allowed, and the rule appears to be legal

(Newser) - The one-bedroom apartment up for rent in New York City is listed for $5,750 a month, but that's not out of line for the Big Apple. What has instead drawn attention is the unusual stipulation imposed by the vegan landlord: Tenants are not allowed to cook meat or...

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