By United Press International, Inc. | | 5/1/2026 11:27 AM
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By United Press International, Inc. | | 5/1/2026 11:05 AM
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By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/30/2026 2:00 PM
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is giving the entire Internet the chance to visit its new elephant habitat with a live camera on its website. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/30/2026 1:49 PM
Buses and cars arriving at a Tennessee elementary school Thursday morning had to work around an unusual obstacle in the parking lot -- a helicopter. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/30/2026 1:17 PM
Firefighters in England responded to a house fire sparked by an unattended candle and ended up rescued a chameleon named Mr. Peeps. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/30/2026 10:44 AM
A Connecticut woman is searching for a peacock that escaped from her farm more than a week ago and has since been spotted around town. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/30/2026 10:29 AM
A cow escaped at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and went for a self-guided tour of the campus and a neighboring cemetery. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/29/2026 11:31 AM
An Indiana sheriff's deputy responded to a call about an animal in a road found animals including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and goats. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/29/2026 11:21 AM
A new speed limit sign posted outside a recycling center in Wisconsin is drawing attention for its oddly specific number -- 17.3 mph. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/29/2026 10:43 AM
A 23-year-old German YouTuber broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to solve a rotating puzzle cube while in freefall. ... Read full Story
By United Press International, Inc. | | 4/29/2026 9:40 AM
A Virginia man opened the hood of his car to find out what was causing his dashboard warning lights and discovered a nest of baby squirrels. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2026 is:
scrupulous \SKROO-pyuh-lus\ adjective
Scrupulous describes someone who is very careful about doing something correctly, or something marked by such carefulness. Scrupulous can also describe someone who is careful about doing what is honest and morally right.
// She was always scrupulous about her work.
// Being an editor requires scrupulous attention to detail.
// Less scrupulous companies find ways to evade the law.
“Scrupulous directors make sure that the sound of their movies is grossly efficient, so that the dramatic meaning of a scene is apparent even in the worst theatre or home system in the country …” — David Denby, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
Did you know?
People described as scrupulous might feel discomfort if their work is not executed with a sharp attention to detail. Such discomfort might present itself as a nagging feeling, much as a sharp pebble in a shoe might nag a walker intent on getting somewhere. And we are getting somewhere. The origin of scrupulous is founded in just such a pebble. Scrupulous and its close relative scruple (“a feeling that prevents you from doing something that you think is wrong”) both come from the Latin noun scrupulus, “a small sharp stone,” the diminutive of scrupus, “a sharp stone.” Scrupus has a metaphorical meaning too: “a source of anxiety or uneasiness.” When the adjective scrupulous entered the English language in the 15th century, it described someone careful about preserving their moral integrity, but it now is also commonly used for someone who is careful in how they execute tasks.