Unusual News
Berkeley Becomes First City to Join UN Anti-Torture Agreement
John Yoo, welcome to the United Nations’ human rights report, compliments of Berkeley, California. The leftist city’s leadership decided this week to become the first non-country to join the UN’s human rights convention, requiring it to file bienn... read more
Tango Gains UNESCO Recognition
Preserving the world’s treasures includes not just natural and man-made creations, such as the Great Wall of China or the Great Barrier Reef. It also includes cultural traditions, and since 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cult... read more
One Reason Republicans are Losing the Hispanic Vote
As if things weren’t bad enough for the GOP with respect to its poor relations with Latinos, the Republican National Committee demonstrated this week that it can’t even put out a press release in Spanish without appearing insensitive. The statemen... read more
GOP Approves Pagan as City Council Candidate
Who says the Republican “big tent” isn’t large enough to accommodate people of all stripes… and polytheistic persuasions. In the New York suburb of Queens, Republican leaders have rallied around lawyer Dan Halloran, a city council candidate and wo... read more
Hugo Chávez Bans Family Guy
When it’s not trying to get rid of golf courses, the government of President Hugo Chávez is going after popular American cartoon shows. Television stations in Venezuela have been told by government officials not to air episodes of Family Guy becau... read more
The Most Dangerous Day to Check into an English Hospital
Medical researchers have confirmed—to a “statistically significantly” degree—a fear long held by the British: do not check yourself into a hospital in early August. This calendar-driven warning is due to the annual arrival of new doctors to hospit... read more
“Anti-Soviet” Restaurant Forced to Change Name
A historically-themed restaurant in Russia known as the “Anti-Soviet” (Antisovetskaya) has had to change its name following complaints by a well-known Russian advocate who now works for the government. Oleg Mitvol, a Moscow city prefect, pressured... read more
Banking Leaders May be on Verge of Mass Alzheimer’s
If a new medical study is any indication, Wall Street may be headed for some serious mental trouble. Researchers from the University of Alabama have published new findings on early warnings for Alzheimer’s which show that a decline in financial sk... read more
Miami Doctors Use Tooth to Restore Woman’s Sight
After Sharron “Kay” Thornton’s eyes went dark, it was her mouth that provided an illuminative solution. Having lost her sight nine years ago from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare skin disorder that severely damaged her corneas, Thornton regained v... read more
Monument to Animals Who Served in World Wars
On the 65th anniversary of Belgium’s liberation from the Nazis by American GIs, Mathilde and Marcel Schmetz decided to unveil a memorial to the animals who “served” in World War II. A monument, sculpted by Frédéric Thomson, depicting a horse, a do... read more
Army Redesigns Camouflage Uniforms for Afghanistan Terrain
Taking into account repeated concerns expressed by combat troops, the U.S. Army is preparing to send a new camouflaged uniform for use by regular soldiers in Afghanistan. Ground forces have complained that the standard issue camo, known as the mul... read more
10 Most Popular Government Facebook Pages
The U.S. government is working hard to keep up with cultural trends by developing a presence on Facebook. Numerous agencies and military branches have pages on the popular social media website, with their popularity ranging from the hundreds of th... read more
“Guiding Light” Goes Dark after 72 Years
Guiding Light, the longest-running program in broadcast history, is going off the air after more than 70 years. The soap opera will air its last episode on September 18, concluding a run that began before television. It first aired on NBC radio on... read more
Tweed Maker, Fearing Lockerbie Backlash, Drops “Scottish” From U.S. Marketing
American anger over Scotland’s release of the Lockerbie bomber has forced one company to “de-Scottishify” its marketing in order to minimize a potential loss in sales. Harris Tweed Hebrides, maker of tweed clothing, intends to remove references to... read more
A Disturbing Success: The First Commercial Trans-Arctic Passage
This week is expected to mark a historic event in ocean travel. Two German cargo vessels are slated to dock in the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands after beginning their journey in Asia. But unlike the countless voyages other ships have taken ... read more
What if the Rules of Monopoly Reflected Real Life?: D. Brad Wright
If Monopoly was played with rules that reflected real life, the game would be a very different contest, according to D. Brad Wright, a PhD student studying health policy and management at the University of North Carolina.
For starters, everyon... read more