Magpie News Collector

Look: Bear rescued after more than a week with its head stuck in a jar

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 1:45 PM

Wildlife officials in Wisconsin announced a bear seen wandering through three counties with a plastic jar stuck over its head has been successfully freed. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

N.C. woman wins $2M lottery prize one month after $250,000 win

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 1:27 PM

A North Carolina woman scored a $2 million top prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket just over a month after winning $250,000 from a second chance drawing. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Indiana man's giant sunflower plant approaching world record

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 12:17 PM

A Fort Wayne, Ind., gardener said his sunflower plant is within a foot of breaking the Guinness World Record for height -- and it's still growing every day. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Escaped bison stop traffic on Washington highway

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 12:03 PM

Traffic on a busy Washington state highway was brought to a halt in both directions in Elma when a herd of escaped bison found their way into the roadway. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Massachusetts authorities share video of water monitor capture

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 11:44 AM

Massachusetts Environmental Police shared video from the capture of Goose, the 5-foot water monitor lizard who spent nearly two weeks evading capture. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: 'Seinfeld' fans compete in Elaine dance contest at Minor League game

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 11:32 AM

The Brooklyn Cyclones, a Minor League Baseball team based in New York, held its annual "Seinfeld" Night promotion, where an Elaine dance contest stole the show. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Florida firefighters rescue dog stranded in canal

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 10:46 AM

Firefighters in Florida rushed to a canal in a Fort Lauderdale park to rescue a loose dog who ended up in the water and wasn't able to find a way out. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Hambone Award finalists include dog who fought a bull

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/6/2025 10:33 AM

Nationwide Pet Insurance announced the finalists for its annual Hambone Award, which highlights the unusual events leading to surprise veterinary visits. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Seattle NHL Team's Mascot Has Close Call With Grizzly During Video Shoot

By HuffPost.com | | 8/5/2025 6:41 PM

Buoy the troll, the mascot for the Seattle Kraken, was chased by the bear during a promotional video shoot in Alaska. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Florida firefighters rescue kitten stuck in engine compartment

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 4:13 PM

Firefighters in Florida came to the rescue of a tiny kitten found to have taken shelter in the engine compartment of a vehicle, where it became stuck. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Massive 22-inch rat removed from home in England

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 4:06 PM

Local officials in North Yorkshire, England, shared a photo of a massive rat found inside a local home that measured more than 22 inches from nose to tail. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Bird Sparks Canadian Brush Fire After Dropping A Fish On Power Lines

By HuffPost.com | | 8/5/2025 4:01 PM

A British Columbia fire rescue service's social media post joked that the osprey allegedly responsible for the blaze was "tired of raw fish and wanted to give cooked a try.” ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Fish dropped by osprey causes brush fire, power outage

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 2:00 PM

Firefighters in British Columbia determined a power outage and small brush fire were caused by an osprey dropping a fish on a power line in the Ashcroft area. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Maryland couple win lottery prize just before both of their birthdays

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 1:41 PM

A Maryland couple scored a $50,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket, just in time to celebrate both of their upcoming birthdays in the month of August. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Windstorm releases cows onto the streets of Scottish city

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 11:58 AM

A powerful windstorm in Scotland knocked over a fence and released more than a dozen cows onto the streets of Carfin, in North Lanarkshire, north of Glasgow. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Texas dog removes 11 caps from plastic bottles in one minute

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 11:51 AM

A Texas woman's pet dachshund celebrated his birthday by removing 11 caps from plastic bottles in one minute, earning a Guinness World Record in the process. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

'Very aggressive' bison escape Ontario farm, shut down local roads

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 11:13 AM

Police in Ontario shut down multiple roads in the King area when a pair of "very aggressive" bison broke through a fence and escaped from their pasture. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

USDA uses 'Marriage Story' scene to teach wolves 'humans are bad'

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/5/2025 11:12 AM

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is using an argument scene from the 2019 film "Marriage Story" to scare wolves away from farms along the West Coast. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Deputy uses his bare hands to wrangle alligator in swimming pool

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/4/2025 1:56 PM

A Florida sheriff's office shared body camera footage of a deputy using his bare hands to capture an alligator found swimming in a resident's backyard pool. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Friend's recommendation leads Maryland man to $50,000 lottery prize

By United Press International, Inc. | | 8/4/2025 1:32 PM

A Maryland man said he had no intention to play the lottery, but a recommendation from a friend led to his winning $50,000 from a $5 Fast Play Double Win game. ... Read full Story

animal

This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration

by Science News | Aug 06 2025

basketball

Which traded first-round NBA draft picks have most value? Ranking all 63 as Pelicans' recent mistake tops list

by CBS Interactive Inc | Aug 06 2025

connecticut

CT DCF highlights positive change after unsettling allegations in Waterbury

by CT Mirror | Aug 06 2025

entertainment

Lauryn Bosstick Breaks Down Her Anything-But-Basic Wellness Routine Featuring Dry Brushing and Cold Plunges

by ET Online | Aug 05 2025

exercise

If You Don’t Walk Backward Every Day, a Sports Medicine Doctor’s List of the Benefits Might Convince You To Start

by thehealthy.com | Jul 11 2025

FFNEWS

From event to improvement: 7 steps for turning dash cam alerts into driver coaching

by FreightWaves | Aug 06 2025

health

Deion 'Coach Prime' Sanders Advocates for Bladder Cancer Screening After Close Call

by Healthline.com | Aug 05 2025

how_to

Don't Buy Refurbished Tech for Back-to-School Season Without Reading This First

by CNET | Aug 06 2025

long_island

Report: Ross Dress for Less plans first East End location

by greaterlongisland.com | Aug 06 2025

new_jersey

NJ cuts child care subsidies for new applicants

by NJ Spotlight | Aug 06 2025

opinion

DC crime is out of control — a federal takeover could be the only solution

by New York Post | Aug 06 2025

politics

Trump voices support for GOP gubernatorial candidate, admits she has 'tough race'

by Fox News | Aug 06 2025

science

New model explains plutonium's peculiar behavior

by phys.org | Aug 06 2025

sports

Pelé's life in pictures

by CNN | Apr 16 2023

upstate

Indoor cornhole facility coming to Rotterdam

by NEWS10 ABC | Aug 06 2025

Word of the Day

largesse

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2025 is:

largesse • \lahr-ZHESS\ • noun

Largesse is a somewhat formal word that refers to the act of giving away money or the generosity of a person who gives away money. It can also refer to the money that is given away.

// The community has benefited greatly from the largesse of its wealthiest family.

// The local business owner is a philanthropist known for his largesse.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Over the years, ShelterBox USA, an outgrowth of the Rotary Club and named for the relief boxes it distributes, has helped nearly 3 million people in some of the world’s worst disaster zones. It hands out basic survival needs: tents, tools, and household supplies. Twice the organization has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its life-preserving largesse." — The Olney (Texas) Enterprise, 20 Mar. 2025

Did you know?

The English language has benefited from the largesse of Anglo-French, through which a generous number of words have passed; examples range from simple to account to desert. English speakers owe Anglo-French a huge thanks, in particular, for its adjective large. That word, meaning "generous, broad, or wide," is the source of both largesse and the familiar duo of large and enlarge. Most people understand enlarge to mean "to make larger," but a less common sense (used in Shakespeare's Henry V) is "to set free." Largesse also contains the notion of freedom, specifically with regard to a lack of financial constraints: it's not about having a "large" amount of money but rather being "free" with it. Incidentally, the English word large wasn't about size when it was first adopted in the 13th century. Back then it meant "lavish."

Look: Bear rescued after more than a week with its head stuck in a jar

N.C. woman wins $2M lottery prize one month after $250,000 win

Watch: Indiana man's giant sunflower plant approaching world record

Look: Escaped bison stop traffic on Washington highway

Watch: Massachusetts authorities share video of water monitor capture

Watch: 'Seinfeld' fans compete in Elaine dance contest at Minor League game

Watch: Florida firefighters rescue dog stranded in canal

Watch: Hambone Award finalists include dog who fought a bull

Seattle NHL Team's Mascot Has Close Call With Grizzly During Video Shoot

Look: Florida firefighters rescue kitten stuck in engine compartment

Watch: Massive 22-inch rat removed from home in England

Bird Sparks Canadian Brush Fire After Dropping A Fish On Power Lines

Look: Fish dropped by osprey causes brush fire, power outage

Maryland couple win lottery prize just before both of their birthdays

Watch: Windstorm releases cows onto the streets of Scottish city

Watch: Texas dog removes 11 caps from plastic bottles in one minute

'Very aggressive' bison escape Ontario farm, shut down local roads

USDA uses 'Marriage Story' scene to teach wolves 'humans are bad'

Watch: Deputy uses his bare hands to wrangle alligator in swimming pool

Friend's recommendation leads Maryland man to $50,000 lottery prize

This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration

Which traded first-round NBA draft picks have most value? Ranking all 63 as Pelicans' recent mistake tops list

CT DCF highlights positive change after unsettling allegations in Waterbury

Lauryn Bosstick Breaks Down Her Anything-But-Basic Wellness Routine Featuring Dry Brushing and Cold Plunges

If You Don’t Walk Backward Every Day, a Sports Medicine Doctor’s List of the Benefits Might Convince You To Start

From event to improvement: 7 steps for turning dash cam alerts into driver coaching

Deion 'Coach Prime' Sanders Advocates for Bladder Cancer Screening After Close Call

Don't Buy Refurbished Tech for Back-to-School Season Without Reading This First

Report: Ross Dress for Less plans first East End location

NJ cuts child care subsidies for new applicants

DC crime is out of control — a federal takeover could be the only solution

Trump voices support for GOP gubernatorial candidate, admits she has 'tough race'

New model explains plutonium's peculiar behavior

Pelé's life in pictures

Indoor cornhole facility coming to Rotterdam

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Look: Bear rescued after more than a week with its head stuck in a jar

2.N.C. woman wins $2M lottery prize one month after $250,000 win

3.Watch: Indiana man's giant sunflower plant approaching world record

4.Look: Escaped bison stop traffic on Washington highway

5.Watch: Massachusetts authorities share video of water monitor capture

6.Watch: 'Seinfeld' fans compete in Elaine dance contest at Minor League game

7.Watch: Florida firefighters rescue dog stranded in canal

8.Watch: Hambone Award finalists include dog who fought a bull

9.Seattle NHL Team's Mascot Has Close Call With Grizzly During Video Shoot

10.Look: Florida firefighters rescue kitten stuck in engine compartment