Magpie News Collector

Watch: Snake handler rescues pet bird from hungry python

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/28/2025 4:21 PM

A professional snake catcher in Australia was called out to a home where a pet bird had a close call with a coastal carpet python that squeezed its head into the avian's cage. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

S.C. man makes lottery run for his wife, wins $200,000

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/28/2025 4:14 PM

A South Carolina man won a $200,000 lottery prize from a ticket he purchased when his wife sent him out to pick up her preferred ticket. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Egyptian diver breaks world record for underwater pull-ups in Red Sea

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/28/2025 1:18 PM

An Egyptian free diver plunged into the Red Sea to break the Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups under open water with one breath. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Alligator puts up fight on Louisiana couple's enclosed porch

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/28/2025 12:45 PM

An alligator managed to enter a Louisiana couple's enclosed porch, sparking a reptile royal rumble involving a professional gator handler and Livingston Parish sheriff's deputies. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Raccoons impede attempts to capture Wis. zoo's escaped otters

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/27/2025 4:03 PM

The Wisconsin zoo searching for a pair of escaped otters said one of the animals was nearly caught in a trap, but the attempt was foiled by a meddling raccoon. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Minnesota cat's 18.5-inch tail earns Guinness World Records title

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/27/2025 3:47 PM

A silver Maine coon cat from Minnesota was awarded a Guinness World Record after his tail was measured at 18.5 inches long. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Dream inspired N.J. lottery player's $1.5M jackpot

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/27/2025 3:34 PM

A New Jersey Lottery player said a dream inspired them to buy a ticket that led to their winning a $1.5 million jackpot. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Mini dachshund spotted 16 months after disappearance on Australian island

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/27/2025 2:06 PM

A miniature dachshund who went missing while visiting South Australia's Kangaroo Island with her owners has been seen alive 16 months later. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Drawing bought for $12 in Pa. might be an authentic Pierre-Auguste Renoir

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/27/2025 1:29 PM

A Pennsylvania woman bought a drawing for $12 at a collector's auction and she later determined it might be a far more valuable work by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Overdue book mysteriously returned to N.D. library after 51 years

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 4:39 PM

A North Dakota library said a copy of "Rebecca" by author Daphne du Maurier was returned anonymously through the mail 51 years after its due date. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Owners of escaped highway cattle in Texas say one steer is still missing

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 2:03 PM

The owners of the rodeo cattle that escaped onto a Texas highway this week said they discovered when the animals finally arrived home that one of the steers is still missing. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Man goes viral for 'mundane absurdity' of fixing a McDonald's sign

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 1:15 PM

A British man has become an unlikely hero on social media after he took it upon himself to repair a McDonald's restaurant sign that had become an object of curiosity for a Facebook group. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

'March Napness' bracket tracks hibernation habits of sanctuary bears

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/26/2025 12:15 PM

An international animal welfare group announced the start of March Napness, a March Madness-style bracket tournament tracking when bears at sanctuaries across Europe will wake from hibernation. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Tiny goat is the shortest in the world at 1 foot, 3 inches tall

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 2:09 PM

A full-grown goat standing at just 1 foot, 3 inches tall has been dubbed the shortest living goat in the world by Guinness World Records. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Escaped rodeo steers run loose on Texas highway

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/25/2025 1:54 PM

A Texas highway turned into an impromptu rodeo when six steers escaped from a trailer and took off running. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Judge Shames Royal Air Force Engineers Who Stole Paddington Bear Statue

By HuffPost.com | | 3/25/2025 11:10 AM

The judge chastised the two British service members for being the “antithesis” of everything Paddington’s character stands for. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

'Once-in-a-lifetime' Iron Age hoard found in Yorkshire

By Sky News | | 3/25/2025 3:24 AM

A "once-in-a-lifetime" hoard of Iron Age artefacts has been uncovered by archaeologists. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Idaho man breaks basketball passing record -- and a wall sign

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/24/2025 4:03 PM

An Idaho man broke a Guinness World Record -- and a sign at the organization's headquarters -- by completing 38 behind-the-back basketball passes in 30 seconds. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Lucky numbers 6-6-6 lead Michigan man to $2.39M lottery jackpot

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/24/2025 3:57 PM

A Michigan man who won $500 playing 6-6-6 in a Daily 3 lottery drawing used $100 of his winnings to buy Fast Cash tickets and wound up with a $2.39 million jackpot. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Police wrangle loose donkey with mints

By United Press International, Inc. | | 3/24/2025 1:22 PM

Police in England's West Midlands were able to wrangle an escaped donkey wandering in traffic by "bribing him" with his favorite treat -- mints. ... Read full Story

animal

‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles

by Science News | Mar 28 2025

art

Ellen Cantor, Annie Ernaux & Marc Marie at Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi

by Contemporary Art Daily | Mar 29 2025

book

What to read after ‘Onyx Storm’

by BookPage | Mar 31 2025

connecticut

Time for a housing grand bargain in CT

by CT Mirror | Mar 31 2025

exercise

Want To Live Longer? Try Weekend-Only Exercise, Says New Study

by thehealthy.com | Sep 21 2024

food

Booker’s Bourbon launches the first batch of 2025, “Barry’s Batch”

by THE MANUAL | Mar 30 2025

football

Giants benching of QB Daniel Jones spotlights NFL-wide issue

by ESNY | Nov 18 2024

game

Full InZoi Donuts List And What They Do

by GameSpot | Mar 28 2025

health

He Was Diagnosed With Colon Cancer at 38. Early Warning Signs He Missed

by Healthline.com | Mar 30 2025

knowledge

Here’s Why Only Some Pickles Have Ridges

by Reader's Digest | Mar 20 2025

lifestyle

Eric Clapton's tragic last promise to his late son Conor, 4, revealed

by Hello! Magazine | Mar 31 2025

nation

'Destiny of humanity' at stake: Musk gives $1M to 2 voters in Wis. Supreme Court race

by upi.com | Mar 31 2025

new_jersey

NJ Spotlight News: March 28, 2025

by NJ Spotlight | Mar 28 2025

real_estate

NYC Real-estate-related revenue hit record $37B last year

by NY Post | Mar 30 2025

sports

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

by ESPN Inc. | Aug 14 2024

Word of the Day

penchant

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2025 is:

penchant • \PEN-chunt\ • noun

Penchant refers to a strong liking for something, or a strong tendency to behave in a certain way. It is usually used with for.

// My penchant for mathematics helped me become an engineer.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Sly Lives! is exceptionally strong in its attention to musical detail—even more than Questlove's previous cinematic effort, the Academy Award–winning Summer of Soul, Sly Lives! feels like a film made by a great musician. The film's interviewees offer illuminating ruminations on Sly's vocal arrangements, including his penchant for switching back and forth between unison vocal parts and harmonized ones ..." — Jack Hamilton, Slate, 13 Feb. 2025

Did you know?

English has multiple p-words that imply a strong instinct or liking for something, including propensity and proclivity, but to keep things precise, penchant is the proper word for implying a pronounced, persistent taste in a person ("a penchant for pretty pendants") or a predominant predilection for performing particular actions ("a penchant for petting penguins"). Penchant traces back all the way to the Latin verb pendere, meaning "to weigh," but is more immediately preceded in English by the French word penchant, from the present participle of pencher, meaning "to incline."

Watch: Snake handler rescues pet bird from hungry python

S.C. man makes lottery run for his wife, wins $200,000

Watch: Egyptian diver breaks world record for underwater pull-ups in Red Sea

Watch: Alligator puts up fight on Louisiana couple's enclosed porch

Watch: Raccoons impede attempts to capture Wis. zoo's escaped otters

Minnesota cat's 18.5-inch tail earns Guinness World Records title

Dream inspired N.J. lottery player's $1.5M jackpot

Mini dachshund spotted 16 months after disappearance on Australian island

Drawing bought for $12 in Pa. might be an authentic Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Look: Overdue book mysteriously returned to N.D. library after 51 years

Watch: Owners of escaped highway cattle in Texas say one steer is still missing

Man goes viral for 'mundane absurdity' of fixing a McDonald's sign

'March Napness' bracket tracks hibernation habits of sanctuary bears

Watch: Tiny goat is the shortest in the world at 1 foot, 3 inches tall

Watch: Escaped rodeo steers run loose on Texas highway

Judge Shames Royal Air Force Engineers Who Stole Paddington Bear Statue

'Once-in-a-lifetime' Iron Age hoard found in Yorkshire

Watch: Idaho man breaks basketball passing record -- and a wall sign

Lucky numbers 6-6-6 lead Michigan man to $2.39M lottery jackpot

Look: Police wrangle loose donkey with mints

‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles

Ellen Cantor, Annie Ernaux & Marc Marie at Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi

What to read after ‘Onyx Storm’

Time for a housing grand bargain in CT

Want To Live Longer? Try Weekend-Only Exercise, Says New Study

Booker’s Bourbon launches the first batch of 2025, “Barry’s Batch”

Giants benching of QB Daniel Jones spotlights NFL-wide issue

Full InZoi Donuts List And What They Do

He Was Diagnosed With Colon Cancer at 38. Early Warning Signs He Missed

Here’s Why Only Some Pickles Have Ridges

Eric Clapton's tragic last promise to his late son Conor, 4, revealed

'Destiny of humanity' at stake: Musk gives $1M to 2 voters in Wis. Supreme Court race

NJ Spotlight News: March 28, 2025

NYC Real-estate-related revenue hit record $37B last year

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: Snake handler rescues pet bird from hungry python

2.S.C. man makes lottery run for his wife, wins $200,000

3.Watch: Egyptian diver breaks world record for underwater pull-ups in Red Sea

4.Watch: Alligator puts up fight on Louisiana couple's enclosed porch

5.Watch: Raccoons impede attempts to capture Wis. zoo's escaped otters

6.Minnesota cat's 18.5-inch tail earns Guinness World Records title

7.Dream inspired N.J. lottery player's $1.5M jackpot

8.Mini dachshund spotted 16 months after disappearance on Australian island

9.Drawing bought for $12 in Pa. might be an authentic Pierre-Auguste Renoir

10.Look: Overdue book mysteriously returned to N.D. library after 51 years