Magpie News Collector

Number coincidence leads woman to $250,000 lottery win

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/21/2025 4:45 PM

A Maryland Lottery player who kept encountering the number 29000 decided to play it in a Pick 5 drawing and ended up winning a prize of more than $250,000. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Blueberries create sticky traffic jam on California highway

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/21/2025 3:16 PM

The California Highway Patrol warned Fresno-area drivers of "a berry sticky situation" resulting from a truck losing its load of blueberries into the roadway. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Newborn kitten rescued from under the hood of police car

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/21/2025 2:40 PM

A 2-day-old kitten was rescued after being found hiding in a warm, but otherwise unsuitable den location: the inner workings of a police patrol vehicle. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Dog escapes crate at British Columbia airport, found after 9 days

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/21/2025 1:55 PM

A rescue dog escaped from his crate at Canada's Vancouver International Airport and was on the loose for 9 days before being safely apprehended by rescuers. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Lion escapes through roof hatch of transport truck

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/21/2025 12:48 PM

A driver on a South African road captured video of the moment a lion escaped from a transport truck's roof hatch and made a flying leap to temporary freedom. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Venomous snake slithers across car passenger's foot

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/20/2025 7:56 PM

A New South Wales, Australia, man called for help from professionals when a venomous tiger snake slithered across his foot while he was a passenger in his car. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Wild bear wanders into California zoo, interacts with resident bears

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/20/2025 6:04 PM

A wild bear wandered into a California zoo and "interacted" with the facility's resident bruins before leaving without incident through a service gate. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Helicopters used to play Xbox's 'Ninja Gaiden' over Miami

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/20/2025 5:02 PM

Xbox took a massive TV into the air over the Miami skyline and broke the Guinness World Record for the largest video game display flown by helicopter. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Surfboard-stealing otter attacks resume at California beach

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/20/2025 4:05 PM

Visitors to a California beach are warning of an aggressive otter with a habit of stealing surfboards in Santa Cruz waters -- and it isn't the first time. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Crocodile in UK canal sparks police force's 'strangest appeal ever'

By Sky News | | 10/18/2025 8:08 AM

Police hunting for a crocodile in Derbyshire have said the search turned out to be "more fluff than fear". ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: 'Creepy dolls' take over Minnesota museum in time for Halloween

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/17/2025 5:33 PM

A museum in Minnesota's Olmstead County is inviting visitors to a seasonally-appropriate exhibit dedicated to the stuff of Halloween nightmares: "creepy dolls." ... Read full Story

odd_fun

N.C. woman wins $200,000 lottery prize at the store where she works

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/17/2025 5:30 PM

A North Carolina woman bought a scratch-off lottery ticket while on a break from work at a grocery store and ended up clocking back in with a $200,000 prize. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Escaped goats become local celebrities in Connecticut

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/17/2025 4:01 PM

A trio of goats that escaped from a farm three months ago have become local celebrities in Connecticut and can often be seen grazing near the highway. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: Three donkeys spotted wandering loose in Alabama

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/17/2025 3:57 PM

Authorities in Alabama are trying to find the owner of three donkeys that have been on the loose in Coosa County's Stewartville area for about two weeks. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Bear steals bag of garbage from California trash bin

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/16/2025 5:46 PM

A California man captured video of a bear digging through a curbside trash bin and absconding to a nearby backyard with a bag of ill-gotten garbage gains. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Numbers picked by ChatGPT earn Michigan woman a $100,000 lottery prize

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/16/2025 4:58 PM

A Michigan woman used artificial intelligence program ChatGPT to generate a set of lottery numbers that earned her a $100,000 prize from a Powerball drawing. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Look: British firefighters rescue cow stuck in muddy river

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/16/2025 4:42 PM

Firefighters in Winchester, England, said a cow "found out that the grass isn't greener on the other side" when it tried to cross a river and got stuck in mud. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Qualified quadrupeds compete to become Nova Scotia town's 'pet mayor'

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/16/2025 3:55 PM

The Town of Amherst, Nova Scotia, is teaming up with the local Lillian Allbon Animal Shelter to elect the town's first-ever four-legged "pet mayor" into office. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Small dog rescued from rising floodwaters in California

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/16/2025 2:44 PM

Emergency responders in California came to the rescue of a small dog who became trapped in the wash of rising floodwaters in Camarillo, Ventura County. ... Read full Story

odd_fun

Watch: Pumpkin reappears on University of Montana spire in 30-year mystery

By United Press International, Inc. | | 10/16/2025 2:16 PM

A climber offered some clues to the longstanding mystery of a how a pumpkin ends up impaled on the spire atop the University of Montana's Main Hall each year. ... Read full Story

animal

Deep Antarctic waters hold geometric communities of fish nests

by Science News | Oct 29 2025

auto

German Police Find Wood Brakes Installed On Mercedes Bought At Auction

by carbuzz.com | Nov 01 2025

basketball

Trae Young injury: Hawks star point guard to miss four weeks with sprained MCL in right knee

by CBS Interactive Inc | Nov 02 2025

exercise

Here’s How Many Steps You Really Need To Walk, Says a Cleveland Clinic Sports Cardiologist Based on New Research

by thehealthy.com | Aug 28 2025

FFNEWS

Borderlands Mexico: Averitt expands San Antonio terminal to meet nearshoring demand

by FreightWaves | Nov 02 2025

food

5 premium tequilas that are worth every penny (no lime or salt needed)

by THE MANUAL | Nov 02 2025

football

Baptism by Fire: Looking for Value on the Jaxson Dart Prop Market Ahead of First Giants’ Start

by ESNY | Sep 26 2025

health

Unused Period Products Unlikely to Contain Mold, Health Experts Say

by Healthline.com | Nov 01 2025

how_to

Want a Freakishly Clean Bathroom? Use These 9 Tips From a Former Custodian

by CNET | Nov 02 2025

nation

42M lose SNAP benefits despite efforts to fund the food program

by upi.com | Nov 02 2025

nutrition

Sebastian Maniscalco Reveals How Jerry Seinfeld Helped Him Establish a Mental Health Routine

by thehealthy.com | Oct 15 2025

politics

Hegseth: Military strikes alleged drug vessel in Caribbean, killing 3

by The Hill | Nov 02 2025

science

On Saturn's largest moon, water and oil would mix — opening the door to exotic chemistry in our solar system

by LIVE SCIENCE | Nov 02 2025

sports

Pelé's life in pictures

by CNN | Apr 16 2023

travel

Up for some adventure in 2026? Find yours for every month of the year.

by The Travel Magazine | Nov 01 2025

Word of the Day

arbitrary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 2, 2025 is:

arbitrary • \AHR-buh-trair-ee\ • adjective

Arbitrary describes something that is not planned or chosen for a particular reason, is not based on reason or evidence, or is done without concern for what is fair or right.

// Because the committee wasn’t transparent about the selection process, the results of the process appeared to be wholly arbitrary.

// An arbitrary number will be assigned to each participant.

See the entry >

Examples:

“The authority of the crown, contemporaries believed, was instituted by God to rule the kingdom and its people. England’s sovereign was required to be both a warrior and a judge, to protect the realm from external attack and internal anarchy. To depose the king, therefore, was to risk everything—worldly security and immortal soul—by challenging the order of God’s creation. Such devastatingly radical action could never be justified unless kingship became tyranny: rule by arbitrary will rather than law, threatening the interests of kingdom and people instead of defending them.” — Helen Castor, The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, 2024

Did you know?

Donning black robes and a powdered wig to learn about arbitrary might seem to be an arbitrary—that is, random or capricious—choice, but it would in fact jibe with the word’s etymology. Arbitrary comes from the Latin noun arbiter, which means “judge” and is the source of the English word arbiter, also meaning “judge.” In English, arbitrary first meant “depending upon choice or discretion” and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by chance or whim.

Number coincidence leads woman to $250,000 lottery win

Look: Blueberries create sticky traffic jam on California highway

Look: Newborn kitten rescued from under the hood of police car

Dog escapes crate at British Columbia airport, found after 9 days

Watch: Lion escapes through roof hatch of transport truck

Look: Venomous snake slithers across car passenger's foot

Wild bear wanders into California zoo, interacts with resident bears

Watch: Helicopters used to play Xbox's 'Ninja Gaiden' over Miami

Watch: Surfboard-stealing otter attacks resume at California beach

Crocodile in UK canal sparks police force's 'strangest appeal ever'

Watch: 'Creepy dolls' take over Minnesota museum in time for Halloween

N.C. woman wins $200,000 lottery prize at the store where she works

Watch: Escaped goats become local celebrities in Connecticut

Look: Three donkeys spotted wandering loose in Alabama

Watch: Bear steals bag of garbage from California trash bin

Numbers picked by ChatGPT earn Michigan woman a $100,000 lottery prize

Look: British firefighters rescue cow stuck in muddy river

Qualified quadrupeds compete to become Nova Scotia town's 'pet mayor'

Watch: Small dog rescued from rising floodwaters in California

Watch: Pumpkin reappears on University of Montana spire in 30-year mystery

Deep Antarctic waters hold geometric communities of fish nests

German Police Find Wood Brakes Installed On Mercedes Bought At Auction

Trae Young injury: Hawks star point guard to miss four weeks with sprained MCL in right knee

Here’s How Many Steps You Really Need To Walk, Says a Cleveland Clinic Sports Cardiologist Based on New Research

Borderlands Mexico: Averitt expands San Antonio terminal to meet nearshoring demand

5 premium tequilas that are worth every penny (no lime or salt needed)

Baptism by Fire: Looking for Value on the Jaxson Dart Prop Market Ahead of First Giants’ Start

Unused Period Products Unlikely to Contain Mold, Health Experts Say

Want a Freakishly Clean Bathroom? Use These 9 Tips From a Former Custodian

42M lose SNAP benefits despite efforts to fund the food program

Sebastian Maniscalco Reveals How Jerry Seinfeld Helped Him Establish a Mental Health Routine

Hegseth: Military strikes alleged drug vessel in Caribbean, killing 3

On Saturn's largest moon, water and oil would mix — opening the door to exotic chemistry in our solar system

Pelé's life in pictures

Up for some adventure in 2026? Find yours for every month of the year.

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: Venomous snake rescued from backyard swimming pool

2.Ohio man forgets winning lottery ticket at home, wins another $500,000

3.Watch: Lost dog found 5 years later, 520 miles from home

4.Ozzy Osbourne pumpkin mosaic breaks Guinness World Record

5.Watch: Deer rescued from between bars of metal fence in Virginia

6.Ohio State marks mascot's 60th by breaking a world record

7.Watch: Utah man drops 1,917-pound pumpkin onto his Geo Metro

8.Watch: Dog rescued after fall from San Francisco cliff

9.Please, Please, Please Do Not Wear Any Of These Wildly Offensive Halloween Costumes This Year

10.Watch: Dog reunited with owner 7 years after burglary in Florida