Unusual News

$586,000 in Political Donations Made Since 2009…by 32 Dead People

Of the $586,000 in contributions, the largest amount went to the Democratic National Committee, which received more than $245,000 in “dead money.” In second place, the Libertarian Party received $163,200, followed by the Green Party ($96,329), the Obama Victory Fund ($31,203) and the National Committee for Effective Congress ($25,000), a pro-Democrat PAC. read more

Anti-Fracking Gag Order Imposed on 7-Year-Old

The children are forbidden to utter certain “illegal words”—forever. In court, James Swett, representing Range Resources, made it clear that the gag order applied to the whole family, not just the parents, and that his client intended to enforce the gag order. Jessie Allen, an assistant professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that applying the non-disclosure agreement to kids was “strange” and “over the top.” read more

Beautiful Members of Congress Face a Rough Future

Of the 59 members of Congress (not including this year’s five inductees) who appeared on the list from 2004 through 2012, 37% of them eventually lost reelection, failed in a campaign for higher office, resigned in scandal, or retired. read more

Why Do American Children Spend So Much Time in Diapers? Follow the Money

It used to be that American kids were potty trained (and out of diapers) by 18 months of age. This was the case in the 1950s. But by 2001 the average age of potty training rose to 35 months for girls and 39 months for boys. Some parents report that their children aren’t potty trained until they are three-, four- even five-years old. The longer kids stay in diapers, the more money companies like Procter & Gamble make off delayed potty training. read more

Lawsuit Accuses “American Idol” of Discrimination against Black Contestants

The complaint alleges the existence of a double standard under which black contestants have been disqualified for reasons—including having taken topless photos, witnessing a murder, and having an arrest record—that did not cause white contestants in similar circumstances to be disqualified. read more

Fight over Government “Raisin Reserve” Spreads from Courts to Congress

In years when high raisin production threatens to cause prices to fall substantially, the RAC can decide that the government should seize part of the crop and keep it off the market by storing it in “reserve,” specifically in warehouses located in California. The result should be higher raisin prices. Here’s the rub: the government often does not pay the raisin growers for the raisins seized. read more

Obama Administration Goes for More Experience; House of Representatives for Less

About one quarter of the top 250 administration officials are 60 or older. In 2009, only 18% were 60 or older. Over on Capitol Hill, the experience level among House members has gone down. Currently, 46% of representatives are “junior members” (defined as those who have completed fewer than three terms in office). read more

Most Honest Americans Found in Alabama and Hawaii; Least Honest in…Washington, D.C.

But in Washington, DC, about 20% took a drink without paying. The least honest (after DC) were West Virginia (85% paid) and Texas and Kentucky (both 87%). The morality level in DC was so low that someone even stole a bicycle belonging to the Honest Tea’s founder. read more

Who Owns Online Data of the Dead?

This information can include bank account details, email records, photographs and videos, passwords, shopping accounts and even music playlists. Facebook limits requests to either removing a person’s account or converting it to memorial site. Twitter will at most deactivate an account, but won’t allow relatives to access the deceased’s account. read more

Judge Sent Text Messages during Trial to Help Prosecution

Prosecutor Kaycee Jones, who was in court as an observer, wrote down Coker’s suggested line of questioning to the defendant and passed it on to Beverly Armstrong, the prosecutor. The message from Coker to Jones read: “Judge says … baby pooped on (Reeves) — if he threw a dog off the bed because the dog peed on bed what would he do if baby pooped on him?” read more

Global Warming in Alaska Reveals Remains of 1952 Air Force Crash

An Alaska National Guard crew flying a training mission with a Black Hawk helicopter out of Anchorage spotted the wreckage in a receding glacier known as Colony Glacier. Officials then notified the Hawaii-based Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), which collected some of the remains. Members of JPAC returned this summer to gather more remains, including some human. read more

Zimbabwe Hospital Charged Women for Each Scream During Childbirth

According to Transparency International (TI), a nongovernmental organization, nurses in at least one local hospital made women pay $5 every time they screamed while giving birth. The penalty was allegedly intended to discourage women from raising false alarms. Women who didn’t pay the fee or simply couldn’t afford it were forced against their will to remain at the hospital until they paid their debt (which sometimes included accruing interest). read more

Economic Development Administration Destroyed Its Computer System to Defeat Non-Existent Cyber Attack

It turned out that only two computers actually had a virus. But even that doesn’t explain why the agency’s top IT official thought it was necessary to not only destroy all the computers, but also discard keyboards, monitors, mice, cameras and even televisions—when such equipment isn’t vulnerable to malware. read more

Judge Rules Yoga Is Not Religious and Can Be Taught in Schools

The three-year pilot program is believed to be the first in the nation to put full-time yoga instructors in each of a district’s schools and has an opt-out option for parents who don’t want their children to participate in the 30-minute, twice-weekly classes. read more

Washington Post Attacks Washington Post over Snowden NSA Leaks

David Sirota argued that the editorial demonstrated the “Post’s higher-ups are apparently so ideologically committed to subservience and to the national security state that they felt the need to take the extraordinary step of publicly reprimanding their own source and their own newsroom for the alleged crime of committing journalism.” read more

Supreme Court Marriage Ruling Brings Ray of Hope to Gays Anxious for Divorce

Since gay marriage became legal in some states, couples whose relationships have soured have found themselves unable to legally end their union. Take Adam Cardinal for example. He got married in New Hampshire to another man, and then the couple moved to Florida. Three years into the marriage, the two decided to divorce—something they can’t do in the Sunshine State because it does not recognize their marriage. read more