strange stuff

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

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Squeaky Sneakers Prompt Lawsuit Against Shoe Maker

CloudTec outsoles blamed for persistent squeaking and customer complaints

(Newser) - A class action lawsuit filed in federal court in Portland, Oregon, alleges that On Inc., a Swiss athletic brand with its North American headquarters in the city, sold sneakers that are prone to an "embarrassing squeak" every time the wearer takes a step. The suit, filed by the law...

Among 20K Pounds of Donated Books, a Rare Find

Michigan State University's Surplus Store receives Latin Jesuit theology text

(Newser) - Workers at Michigan State University's Surplus Store sort through a staggering 20,000 pounds of donated books each month, but last October they stumbled on a find unlike any other: a 17th-century theology book bound in pigskin, written in Latin by Austrian Jesuit Paul Laymann. The book, a copy...

Chicago's Famous Rat Hole Wasn't Made by a Rat

Researchers say a squirrel likely left the sidewalk imprint

(Newser) - Chicago's famed "rat hole"—a rodent-shaped impression in a North Side sidewalk that drew crowds and offerings from locals—wasn't actually made by a rat, the New York Times reports. Dubbed "Splatatouille," the mysterious hole captured the city's imagination, with many believing a...

This Pumpkin Weighs as Much as a Bison

Winner of annual pumpkin weigh-in is more than 2.3K pounds

(Newser) - A California engineer and gardening enthusiast won the top prize at an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California after growing a giant jack-o'-lantern gourd weighing 2,346 pounds, the AP reports. Brandon Dawson, of Santa Rosa, California, clinched the victory Monday at the 52nd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in...

After Hot Pursuit, Ohio Cops Bust a Huge Inflatable Pumpkin

Body cam video shows an officer struggling with it

(Newser) - The subject of an Ohio police pursuit took off down the road, a flash of orange in the darkness, but officers eventually caught up and grabbed the escapee: a runaway inflatable pumpkin as tall as them. As the AP reports, body camera footage from the Parma Heights Police Department in...

SC Couple's Fiery Halloween Decor Keeps Fooling Neighbors

Illusion of flames, smoke triggers emergency calls nightly from folks who think home is on fire

(Newser) - A South Carolina couple's Halloween decorations are causing such a stir that neighbors keep calling 911, mistakenly thinking the home is on fire. Sam Lee and Amanda Riggins Peden, known in Fountain Inn for their extravagant spooky displays, have taken things up a notch this year, per USA ...

Thailand Celebrates an Outdated Beast of Burden

In era when tractors have taken over, a beauty pageant for buffaloes, including a race, honors them

(Newser) - It was 5-year-old Tod's first time competing in a beauty pageant and the bright red interior of his ears turned out and popped against his black fur. The main stud for his owner, Thawatchai Daeng-Ngam, Tod was one of the competitors Monday at the annual water buffalo racing festival...

A Bear Walks Into a Grocery Store...

And 'it just ran around,' say police in Arizona

(Newser) - Cue the honey jokes: A bear surprised shoppers at a southern Arizona grocery store when it walked through the front door and ran around inside for a few minutes before exiting the building. Over the weekend, the bear was seen in the Oro Valley neighborhood near the Fry's location...

Roaming Berlin, a Wallaby on the Loose

And it's so far proving elusive to police

(Newser) - A kangaroo—well, a wallaby to be precise—is on the loose in Berlin. City police say any passersby who spot it should keep their distance, but an eye on it, too. Chief Inspector Martin Halweg told the AP in an email on Monday that Berlin police are no longer...

Most New Zealand Contest Ever Has Crowned Its Winner

A raptor with no qualms about eating its opponents wins New Zealand's annual bird election

(Newser) - New Zealand's annual bird election is contested by cheeky parrots, sweet songbirds, and cute, puffball robins. This year's winner is a mysterious falcon that wouldn't think twice about eating them. Karearea, the Indigenous Maori name for the New Zealand falcon, was crowned Bird of the Year on...

The Brave World of Vintage Military Ration Tasters

Collectors sample, review, and trade military meals from long-ago eras

(Newser) - Would you try a meal prepared decades ago, despite the health risks? Meet an adventurous group of collectors who crack open military rations that have survived years on the shelf—in some cases for more than century—to sample the forgotten flavors of history. These culinary daredevils, some with...

'Very Mean Squirrel' Is on the Warpath

At least 2 people in San Rafael, Calif., have ended up in ER after creature 'comes out of nowhere'

(Newser) - Residents of a San Francisco Bay Area city are on the lookout for an aggressive squirrel that has sent at least two people to the emergency room for medical treatment, per the AP . Joan Heblack tells ABC affiliate KGO-TV that she was walking in the Lucas Valley neighborhood of San...

Cops: Teaching Assistant Used 'Poop Spray' to Sicken Kids

South Carolina man arrested after incident allegedly caused $55K in damages

(Newser) - A South Carolina teaching assistant has been arrested after allegedly spraying a product designed to mimic the scent of feces throughout his high school. The incident, still under investigation, disrupted classes, sickened students, and led to tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, per WJW . Alexander Lewis, 32, was...

CBP Looked for Plants and Cigars, Found a Skull Instead

Human remains found during routine luggage check at Tampa airport, passenger claims ritual use

(Newser) - Customs officials at Tampa International Airport made a gruesome find in a traveler's bag this week. During what started as a standard baggage inspection, agents uncovered a foil-wrapped bundle containing human bones, including part of a skull. The passenger, whose identity and nationality weren't disclosed, reportedly told...

Amid ... Everything Else, Fat Bear Week Soldiers On

Annual Alaskan contest kicks off next week, but first: a 'chubby cubby appetizer'

(Newser) - The brawny bruins on the Alaska Peninsula are ready to brawl it out to see which will win this year's fattest bear title in the wildly popular annual Fat Bear Week contest. The main event featuring adult bears starts next week, but first up Thursday is what the National...

Cheaters Even Show Up in Rock-Skipping Contests

At least per organizers of an event in remote Scotland, with accusations of doctored stones

(Newser) - A decades-old stone-skipping contest on a tiny Scottish island made waves this year—not for record throws, but for a cheating scandal. The rules of the Easdale island contest are simple: A competitor can use only naturally formed stones from Easdale itself, and nothing wider than 3 inches, verified...

Ed Sheeran: My Wife Will Put Together Posthumous Album

Singer says his will provides for an album after he dies, with his spouse dictating what goes on it

(Newser) - Ed Sheeran is only 34 years old, but he's already making plans for the Great Stage in the Sky. The UK singer-songwriter has an album in his sights—with the "eerie" reveal that it will be a posthumous one, featuring 10 of his life's best tracks, reports...

4 Years Later, Mystery Wedding Crasher Is IDed
4 Years Later, Mystery
Wedding Crasher Is IDed
in case you missed it
Sep 14, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

4 Years Later, Mystery Wedding Crasher Is IDed

Andrew Hillhouse confesses to being stranger who popped up in Michelle Wylie's 2021 nuptials pic

(Newser) - For four years, Michelle Wylie and her husband have puzzled over a handful of photos from their wedding day that showed a "tall man in a dark suit, distinguished by the look of quiet mortification on his face" at their ceremony. It wasn't anyone they recognized, and no...

New Jersey Cops Seek Humpty Dumpty Bandits

Statue of nursery rhyme character was stolen from Cape May mini golf venue, dumped in street

(Newser) - Humpty Dumpty took a big fall, and now police are hoping to crack the case. A colorful statue of the nursery rhyme icon was forcibly removed from a structure at a miniature golf course in Cape May, New Jersey, on Sunday and dumped down the street. Local police now say...

Calif. Woman Charged After Registering Her Dog to Vote

Dog's ballot counted in 2021 recall, woman faces felony charges

(Newser) - A California woman is in hot water after prosecutors say she registered her dog to vote and managed to successfully cast a ballot under the pet's name in a state recall election. The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced that Laura Lee Yourex, 62, faces five felony...

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