Unusual News
The Strange Case of the Aluminum Penny
Randall Lawrence found the penny among his father’s belongings after his death in 1980. For 33 years he never realized its value until he met coin dealer Michael McConnell.
McConnell told Lawrence that the penny was part of a rare batch made of aluminum, instead of the traditional copper, and could be worth $250,000. The two men agreed to auction it off.
But the Treasury Department contends it isn’t his to sell, claiming it's government property and should be returned. read more
New York Police Won’t Release Freedom of Information Handbook, Claiming It’s Not Covered by Freedom of Information Law
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is keeping secret its manual that instructs officials how to process freedom of information requests, claiming the materials are not covered under the state’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). read more
Why is the CIA Fighting Release of Documents Relating to 4 Planes that Went Missing in 1980?
Whitaker said the plane piloted by his father disappeared somewhere over Spain in October 1980. The plaintiff seems to suspect that some of the DC-3s he has sought information on were used by the CIA in its covert operations.
His FOIA request to the spy agency asked for any information that would reveal whether
“any of these persons or aircraft were later found to be employed or contracted by the CIA for service in Central America or elsewhere.”
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After Refusing a Purple Heart, World War II Vet Accepts it…70 Years Later
Dick Faulkner was part of a World War II bomber crew headed for factories supplying the Nazi war machine.
But their plane, “Berlin Playboy,” encountered German antiaircraft fire. Another B-17 flew straight into the Playboy, slicing it in half.
Faulkner managed to jump out of the crippled aircraft and deploy his malfunctioning parachute.
He was the only crew member who made it out alive.
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How Many Times can Mexico Kill Nazario Moreno?
Authorities in Mexico say they have killed Nazario Moreno, leader of a notorious drug cartel for the second time.
That’s right, the second time.
Moreno, head of the Knights Templar, was reportedly killed by police in a shootout back in 2010. But his body was never recovered following the incident.
The rumors of his survival fueled a perception of him as a mythical, legendary figure.
Mexican officials now admit that Moreno wasn’t killed four years ago. But they say he is dead now.
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Florida City Installs Red-Light Camera in Front of Hospital Emergency Room
With revenue drying up, municipalities have had to invent new ways to bring in funds to their coffers. A Florida city might win the prize for creativity, installing a red-light camera at an intersection next to a hospital, targeting those who are on their way to the emergency room. read more
“Miss Demeanor” Sues to Stop Commercial Use of her Mugshot
Meagan Simmons, a 28-year-old mother of four, was arrested for drunk driving. But her attractive mugshot landed on the Internet with such captions as: “Guilty of taking my breath away,” and “Arrested for breaking and entering your heart.”
Simmons went along with the unexpected publicity, gaining thousands of Twitter and Instagram followers and hinting of a possible Playboy layout.
But when a company used her mugshot for its online advertising, she decided to sue for damages.
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Missouri Justice System Locks up Model Citizen 13 Years after Clerical Error Freed Him Following Crime
Mike Anderson was 22 when he helped rob a Burger King. He got caught, was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison. But Anderson never served his time, due to a clerical blunder.
Anderson turned his life around. He got a job, married, started a family and began coaching football. By all accounts he was a model citizen.
But then the justice system caught up with him. In July 2013, authorities decided it was time to put Anderson, now 36, behind bars.
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California Court Allows Drivers to Check Cellphone Maps While Driving
Steven Spriggs had appealed his conviction for using the map function on his phone while stuck in traffic on a Fresno highway. In hearings in traffic court and Superior Court, Spriggs claimed the law prohibits only talking and listening on a phone. The appeals court pointed out that when the law under which Spriggs was charged was written in 2006, smartphones with map functions weren’t common. read more
Marines Regain Right to Roll up Their Sleeves
The reversal has been greeted with enthusiasm. “In the four years since we began using social media we haven't seen any post generate such an overwhelmingly positive reaction,” Marine Corps spokesman Lt. Col. David Nevers told The Wall Street Journal.
The ruling doesn’t apply to all circumstances, however. Marines must keep their sleeves rolled down in combat zones, in winter and during training.
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Federal Court Rules High School Coach Cannot Require Basketball Players to Wear Short Hair
“What we have before us is a policy that draws an explicit distinction between male and female athletes and imposes a burden on male athletes alone, and a limited record that does not supply a legally sufficient justification for the sex-based classification,” Judge Ilana Rovner wrote for the majority. read more
Homophobia is Bad for Your Health
Harboring fear or hatred of gay people can take years off someone’s life, researchers say.
“We found evidence that anti-gay prejudice is associated with elevated mortality risk among heterosexuals, over and above multiple established risk factors,” researchers wrote in the American Journal of Public Health.
“In particular, there was a 2.5-year life expectancy difference between individuals with high vs. low levels of anti-gay prejudice,” they added. read more
Lottery Winners Become More Right-Wing after Winning
Lottery winners could be a jackpot for more conservative political parties, a new study has shown.
Among lottery winners, about 18% were shown to have switched to a more conservative outlook during a given year, but only 13% of non-winners moved to the right. According to the study, “We show that an increase in a person’s overall household income in year is associated with a rise in their belief in the justice of the current wealth distribution in society.” read more
90% of Americans Value Scientific Research, but Only 74% Know that the Earth Revolves Around the Sun
The survey, involving 2,200 people and conducted by the National Science Foundation found more than 90% think scientists are “helping to solve challenging problems” and are “dedicated people who work for the good of humanity.”
Just over 25% of respondents didn’t know the Earth revolved around the sun.
More than half (52%) didn’t know human beings evolved from earlier species of animals. read more
Who Earned the Highest Customer Satisfaction Survey? The VA Cemeteries
The NCA, however, not only finished first—which it has done every time it has participated in the survey—but also scored the highest rating ever: 96. The closest a private-sector company came was Mercedes-Benz with an 88. The NCA’s rating was also 28 points higher than the average mark received by federal agencies: 68. read more
67% of Committed Couples in U.S. Share Their … Passwords
Couples, particularly middle-income and wealthier ones, don’t have a problem sharing their passwords in the digital age, a new Pew Research study shows.
The report says 67% of committed couples have told one another their secret passwords to access some kind of technology or platform.
This sharing is more “prevalent in higher-income households,” according to the report, with those earning more than $50,000 more likely to share passwords than those making under that amount. read more