Unusual News
Can Dogs (and Humans) Smell Cancer
Researchers in Japan have demonstrated that dogs can not only sniff out cancer in patients, but also determine the particular kind a person has.
At Kyushu University, Yoshihiko Maehara and colleagues trained a Labrador retriever named Marin... read more
Belgians Celebrate Setting No-Government Record
Citizens of Belgium have no trouble poking fun at themselves or their government, which gave them plenty of reason to celebrate this week as the country broke the world record for longest time without forming a government.
As of February 17,... read more
Harassed by Government, Chinese Father Finds Kidnapped Son via Internet
About 20,000 children are abducted every year in China. Most are never recovered, which makes the story of Peng Gaofeng all the more astounding.
Three years ago, Peng’s son, Peng Wenle, nicknamed “Le Le,” was kidnapped outside his father’s m... read more
10 States Represented Only by Senators Born Elsewhere
One-fifth of all U.S. states currently have no native son or daughter representing them in the Senate, according to Smart Politics at the University of Minnesota. The ten states and their Senators are:
Arizona: John Kyl-Nebraska; John McCain... read more
Clarence Thomas Goes 5 Years without Speaking at Supreme Court
It is virtually unheard of for a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court not to speak during oral arguments for an entire term, given the vocal nature of judges and the complexities of legal issues at hand. But Justice Clarence Thomas has managed a st... read more
Millions of Americans Don’t Know They Receive Government Benefits
For all the worry about being too big and too intrusive, the U.S. government has an invisibility issue with millions of Americans. It spends billions on programs to assist those who, it turns out, don’t see themselves as receiving government ass... read more
Robots in the News
Taking over for humans is nothing new for robots, which long have been developed to perform dangerous work, or to save money by replacing skilled labor. Nowadays, however, robots are replacing low-wage workers. They’re also getting involved in c... read more
Sex Strike Urged in Belgium
Fed up with the lack of a national government to rule the country, a senator in Belgium has called upon the spouses of politicians to withhold sex until the political parties agree to work together.
Belgium has gone more than 240 days withou... read more
Harry Baals Leading Vote to Name New Government Building in Indiana
Many residents of Fort Wayne, Indiana, would love to name the new government building after the city’s longest serving mayor. Unfortunately, his name was Harry Baals.
Baals served three consecutive terms from 1934-1947, and later a fourth te... read more
85 Americans are Already Running for President
None of the favorites to run for President next year has officially filed as a candidate, but that doesn’t mean the nation doesn’t already have dozens of citizens who are ready to serve. They don’t have any money, but they do have catchy names.
... read more
Rand Paul Votes in Favor of Pointing Lasers at Airplanes and Keeping Secret Holds to Block Nominees and Bills
Freshman Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has demonstrated a willingness to go his own way, much like his maverick father, Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas).
For example, when the Senate took up an amendment to a Federal Aviation Administratio... read more
UK Immigration Officer Put Wife on No-Fly List
Sick of his wife, an unidentified immigration officer in the United Kingdom placed the name of his spouse on the government’s no-fly list for suspected terrorists in order to keep her out of the country.
The wife left the UK three years ago ... read more
Texas Student Attends High School via Robot
Having polycystic kidney disease and a ravaged immune system has not stopped freshman Lyndon Baty from attending high school in Knox City, Texas. With the help of a mobile, four-foot tall robot, Baty is able to attend classes virtually. Vgo can ... read more
Chinese TV Passes Off Footage from “Top Gun” as Chinese Military Drill
Memo to China: If you’re going to pirate footage from a Hollywood film for propaganda purposes, make sure you borrow from something few have seen.
China Central Television, a government-sponsored broadcaster, recently aired footage purported... read more
Hawaii Legislators Propose Novel Revenue Source: Sell Copies of Obama’s Birth Certificate
Looking for a way to raise revenues for a cash-strapped state budget, lawmakers in Hawaii are considering charging anyone requesting a copy of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.
Under legislation introduced in the state House of Rep... read more
Rep. Kucinich Sues House Cafeteria for $150,000 over Olive Pit
Nearly three years after his culinary encounter with the “dangerous substance,” Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has sued a congressional cafeteria for slipping an olive pit into the politician’s sandwich wrap. The offending morsel allege... read more