Unusual News
Competing Keys to the City; One Goes to Glenn Beck, Another to Jon Stewart
About 30 miles separate the towns of Mount Vernon and Bellingham in Washington state, but a much greater distance separates their mayors. Conservative Mayor Bud Norris of Mount Vernon likes Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, and recently he decided ... read more
Most Stressed City in the U.S.? Chicago
Chicago is not only the Windy City but also the most stressed out. This finding is according to Forbes’ annual survey for 2009 ranking the top cities in America where stress is overflowing. The magazine took into consideration several quality-of-l... read more
Sudanese Woman Jailed for Wearing Trousers
Defiant as ever, journalist Lubna Hussein entered the courtroom on Monday in Khartoum wearing the same outfit that got her into trouble with Sudan’s Islamic government: pants. Hussein was arrested in July for wearing trousers in public, which is c... read more
Pages from Oldest Bible Found in Egypt
PhD student Nikolas Sarris was reviewing digital reproductions of ancient manuscripts in Egypt’s St. Catherine’s Monastery when he made a startling discovery: a fragment of the world’s oldest Bible hidden beneath the binding of an 18th-century boo... read more
Church Bells vs. Noise Limits in Phoenix
Three churches in Phoenix are suing the city over its anti-noise ordinance that has prevented clergy from ringing church bells. At first the churches defied the local law by ringing the bells, some as often as every hour on the hour from 8 am to 8... read more
Government Employees in Bangladesh Ordered to Stop Wearing Suits…to Save Energy
Male government officials in Bangladesh, from civil servants to cabinet ministers, are going casual to work. In order to save electricity in the energy-starved country, the nation’s female prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, ordered men employed by the... read more
Feuding French Mayors Aim One-Way Streets at Each Other
The collision that commonly takes place between the left and the right in politics has manifested itself in France where two local leaders have literally aimed their constituencies at one another. Tired of the commuter traffic that has plagued the... read more
Another Reason to Avoid Cocaine
Americans who use cocaine have a one-in-three chance of snorting the drug laced with Levamisole, a potent medication used to de-worm cattle. Officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration say Colombian drug smugglers have been adding Levamisol... read more
Stimulus Checks Sent to Prisoners
It’s tough to spend money, and thus help stimulate the economy, when stuck behind bars. So then why were 3,900 inmates nationwide sent stimulus checks like most other Americans? That’s the question many in Washington are asking since the news brok... read more
20 Most Popular Illegal Internet Entertainment Downloads
Described by one media researcher as “a socially acceptable form of casual piracy,” unauthorized downloading of movies and television programs is booming, which is unnerving for those American production companies, studios and networks that have n... read more
Obama’s Alma Mater Offers Course in Stupidity
For those desiring an in depth examination of all things stupid, there’s Course 180 offered by Occidental College. The small liberal arts institution in Southern California (which has the distinction of being the college Barack Obama attended for ... read more
Shanghai Moves to Correct Bad Signs in English
In preparation for the thousands of English-speaking visitors expected to attend next year’s World Expo fair, the city of Shanghai is working on correcting its many lost-in-translation signs found in restaurants and public places. The plan is to e... read more
Army Deploys Endangered Bird in Fight against San Antonio Urban Sprawl
U.S. Army officials near San Antonio have successfully lobbied local officials to pass a new ordinance making it more difficult for developers to build new properties near Camp Bullis, a key subsection of Fort Sam Houston. The primary weapon used ... read more
Producing Pennies and Nickels Costs More Than Their Worth
It just doesn’t pay to make money these days. This is especially true for officials running the U.S. Mint, producer of America’s coined currency. Due to price increases in raw materials like copper and nickel, it costs more to manufacture a penny ... read more
Zimbabwe Hyperinflation Second Worst in World History
Struggling from political repression and failed economic policies, Zimbabwe has the distinction of not only experiencing the first case of hyperinflation in the 21st century, but the second highest ever in recorded history. According to two econom... read more
Defendant Treated Juror During Medical Malpractice Trial
Dr. Faranak Argani is going back to court to face charges of medical malpractice after the Montana Supreme Court ruled his first trial should not have continued after he assisted a juror who nearly fainted. During the trial, the attorney for plain... read more