Strange News

National

A beloved piece of playground equipment — the jungle gym — turns 100 years old

5:52pm October 24, 2023

by Matt Ozug

A beloved piece of playground equipment is turning 100 years old. The history of the jungle gym and monkey bars is full of weird and and delightful twists, spanning from Japan to suburban Chicago.

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Jonathan Sadowski, left, and Mike Vogel in Netflix's softcore hit Sex/Life.

Arts

You're not seeing things —'nudity creep' in streaming TV reveals more of its stars

4:38pm October 20, 2023

by Neda Ulaby

Naked Attraction and Sex/Life are among the shows on streaming television using uncensored nudity, including men seen full-frontal, to create buzz and attract subscribers.

World News

Guinness Book of World Records names a new hottest pepper: Pepper X

5:28pm October 19, 2023

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with hot pepper expert Ed Currie about Pepper X, which was named the hottest pepper in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.

The remains of at least 189 decaying bodies were found and removed from the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado, officials said Tuesday, Oct. 17.

National

Nearly 200 bodies recovered from a Colorado funeral home accused of improper storage

3:17pm October 19, 2023

by Emily Olson

Police were called to the Return to Nature Funeral Home earlier this month after receiving reports of a strong odor. What they found inside was "horrific," the county sheriff said.

Dorothy Hoffner, 104, went skydiving Oct. 1 and could hold the record for the oldest person to jump from a plane. She died Monday, likely in her sleep, Brookdale Senior Living said in a statement.

National

A 104-year-old woman dies before Guinness can confirm her record as oldest skydiver

7:15pm October 11, 2023

by Ayana Archie

Dorothy Hoffner, 104, went skydiving Oct. 1 and died Monday in her sleep. Guinness World Records is still working to confirm if Hoffner broke the record for the oldest person to jump from a plane.

A Minnesota man has grown the world's largest pumpkin... again

5:08pm October 10, 2023

On Monday, a man beat his own record for the largest pumpkin ever grown in North America. This one was 2, 749 pounds — almost 200 pounds heavier than last year's fruit!

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National

Celebrate the romance of tarantulas' mating season at this Colorado festival

5:09pm October 02, 2023

by Shanna Lewis

Tarantulas are looking for love in southeastern Colorado. The city of La Junta capitalizes on the spiders' annual season of romance by hosting a tarantula festival.

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Joie Henney and his emotional support alligator, Wally, were denied entry to a Phillies' game at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday — but hope to be invited back soon.

Health & Safety

Wally the emotional support alligator went to see the Phillies. Then he went viral

11:01am September 29, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Wally doesn't bite, loves hugs and has a sizeable social media following. He made headlines (again) for being denied entry to a baseball stadium — but his owner tells NPR that's not the full story.

"Obviously, it's very disheartening to be accused of cheating," chess grandmaster Hans Niemann said. Asked about a bizarre idea that vibrating anal beads could signal players about the best moves, he replied, "That is not a serious theory."

Hans Niemann pooh-poohs a chess cheating theory that's based on vibrating beads

1:31pm September 26, 2023

by Bill Chappell

Chess prodigy Hans Niemann is competing in the World Junior Chess Championship — but he's also answering questions about an outlandish cheating theory.

A screenshot taken from social media shows passengers dangling from the area after the abrupt stop of of the Lumberjack ride at Ontario's Wonderland theme park.

National

Ride passengers rescued after dangling upside down, 75 feet up, for half an hour

9:08am September 25, 2023

by Emily Olson

The oscillating Lumberjack ride at Canada's Wonderland theme park stopped suddenly, in mid-air, on Sunday. Videos posted to social media captured the sounds of passengers crying for help.