Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, Texas, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle, Texas, were indicted on Nov. 20 in U.S. District Court for a bizarre plot to carry out a coup on Gonave Island, near Haiti. The New York Times reported that the men hatched their plan in 2024; both were learning Haitian Creole, and Weisenburg joined the North Texas Fire Academy to learn "command-and-control protocols." He flunked out in February 2025. Thomas joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Maryland, and both men planned to recruit homeless people from around Washington, D.C., to assist in the coup. After sailing to and gaining control of the island, Weisenburg and Thomas planned to kill all the men and make the women and children sex slaves. The would-be conquerors could face up to life in federal prison. [New York Times, 11/22/2025]

Perspective (or Lack Thereof)

On Nov. 7 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Corey Johnson, 35, of Alexandria, Louisiana, tried to exit the short-term parking lot, but he wasn't able to pay the fee. People magazine reported that Johnson at first refused to move his Jeep out of the exit lane but later agreed to pull aside while he worked out payment. Around 10 p.m., while Johnson was still stuck in the parking lot, the airport's Aviation Communications center received a threatening phone call, suggesting a bomb would be detonated if the operator did not "page Hassan." The center received another call around 10:35, saying he wanted "Hassan" "to bring the bomb to level three." Deputies pinged the phone making the calls and traced it back to Johnson; by 11 p.m., he was under arrest. On Nov. 20, Johnson was indicted for willfully conveying a bomb threat. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine -- way more than the parking fee. [People, 12/3/2025]

Raccoons Gone Wild

-- An ABC liquor store in Ashland, Virginia, had a break-in early on Nov. 29, but it wasn't a robber. The New York Times reported that a raccoon fell through the ceiling of the store, then set about trying a wide variety of alcohol: rum, moonshine, peanut butter whiskey, vodka and, of course, eggnog. "It broke several bottles and consumed the spirits," said Carol Mawyer, PR manager for Virginia ABC. When police and animal control responded, the blotto beast was passed out face-down on the floor of the bathroom. The raccoon woke up after about 1 1/2 hours and showed no signs of injury. It was released back into the wild. [New York Times, 12/3/2025]

-- No good raccoon deed goes unpunished, as a man in Cherokee County, Georgia, learned during Thanksgiving week. CBS News reported that the unnamed man saw the injured animal in the road and stopped to help it, wrapping it in his coat and holding it against his chest as he drove to the Chattahoochee Nature Center more than an hour away. At some point, the raccoon became loose and bit the man on his face and hands. At the center, employees urged him to go to the hospital; meanwhile, the raccoon was euthanized and tested for rabies. Result: Positive. "Please take a minute and assess the situation before attempting to capture wildlife without direction," the center posted. [CBS News, 12/1/2025]

Suspicions Confirmed

Police in Auckland, New Zealand, are holding a man in custody, presumably awaiting a certain biological development, after he was accused of swallowing a $19,000 Faberge egg pendant on Nov. 28, the BBC reported. Officers went to Partridge Jewellers and arrested the 32-year-old man, who has undergone a medical assessment. Talk about crap duty: "An officer is assigned to constantly monitor the man," Inspector Grae Anderson said. "At this stage, the pendant has not been recovered." The egg is set with white diamonds and blue sapphires and has an 18-karat-gold miniature octopus inside. [BBC, 12/3/2025]

Government in Action

Rankin, Pennsylvania, got its first snowfall this week, but it was less than prepared, KDKA-TV reported. Alas, Rankin has only one public works employee -- and that employee isn't licensed to operate a snowplow. Still, borough resident Marcus Clay cut them some slack: "They didn't do too bad. It was better than it was last year." Borough council member Walter Sewell hopefully noted, "We're working through it." The city subcontracted with some local businesses, and in the spirit of the season, even residents chipped in, shoveling and salting their own blocks. It takes a village. [KDKA, 12/2/2025]

Workers' Comp?

-- The perils of working ... outside. On Dec. 2, as Jessica Tyson, 32, filmed a segment for a current affairs show in Auckland, New Zealand, a low-flying bird struck her in the face, United Press International reported. Tyson shared the clip to social media, commenting, "POV Just trying to do your job when nature has other plans. Everything is fine, just got a little scar above my eye." She's looking forward to indoor assignments from now on. [UPI, 12/3/2025]

-- Utility lineman Werner J. Neubauer responded to a prickly situation in Cochise County, Arizona, United Press International reported on Dec. 1. A bear was stuck at the top of a utility pole and was in danger of being electrocuted, Neubauer said. He shut off electricity to the pole and used a bucket truck to get to the bear's level, where he poked at it with a fiberglass stick until it slid back down the pole. [UPI, 12/1/2025]

Bright Idea

Magician and molecular biologist Zi Teng Wang of St. Louis, Missouri, came up with a fun idea a few years ago: He implanted an RFID chip in his hand and used it to perform magic tricks, Yahoo! News reported on Nov. 28. But the tricks faded and other uses fizzled out, and Wang went on with his life. "When I went to rewrite the chip, I was horrified to realize I forgot the password that I had locked it with," he said. "I'm still locked out of my own body's tech, and that's inconvenient but hilarious." Ah, techie humor. [Yahoo! News, 11/28/2025]

Nope

Fox News reported that a sky-dining -- that's right, DINING, not DIVING -- attraction in Kerala, India, froze at its full height with two adults, two children and a staff member on deck on Nov 28. The dining experience involves a crane lifting a platform 120 feet in the air, allowing diners to enjoy a panoramic view. However, the hydraulic system powering the lift failed, leaving the riders with no way to get down. Instead, firefighters used ropes to climb to the platform, then put each person in a harness and lowered them to the ground. The whole operation took about four hours. No injuries were reported. [Fox News, 12/1/2025]

Wait, What?

Quick, get your Christmas order in before Dec. 11 for Mug Root Beer's limited-edition cologne, "Daddy's Home." Fox5 Atlanta reported on Dec. 3 that the company is for the first time detouring into personal care with the scent, which includes aromas of cedar, sandalwood, vanilla and caramel. "It's the kind of scent that whispers 'come to papa' to dogs and dawgs alike," the company said. The package includes a 1.7-ounce cologne and a 10-pack of MUG Root Beer mini cans for the low, low price of $15. "Daddy's Home by Mug Root Beer is for our die-hard MUG fans who believe root beer rules every sense, not just taste," a statement read. [Fox5, 12/3/2025]

Pope Francis' popemobile has been repurposed as a mobile health clinic for children in war-torn Gaza, NBC News reported on Nov. 25. Francis used the vehicle during a visit to Bethlehem in 2014 and blessed the project before his death in April. The open platform where he stood has been enclosed and converted to a treatment area. Caritas, the Catholic organization tasked with the conversion, said the vehicle will be able to treat about 200 children per day. [NBC News, 11/25/2025]

But the Turkey Is Doing Fine

Two men resorted to gunplay on Nov. 13 at a Food Lion in High Point, North Carolina, WBTV reported, with one suffering a gunshot wound to the arm. It all started when one of the men argued with an employee over a turkey; the second man allegedly stepped in, and both of them left the store to get their guns. The two men shot at each other outside the store. Police said one man was interviewed by detectives, but it was unclear whether either had been charged. [WBTV, 11/15/2025]

Precocious

On Nov. 14, a mom popped into W.A. Wright Elementary School in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to deliver some paperwork, leaving her 10-year-old son in the car outside. She returned to the parking lot to find the car gone, WSMV-TV reported, and assumed it had been stolen with her son inside. A witness said they'd seen the car driving recklessly out of the parking lot. But when police checked the family home about a mile away, they found the car in the garage and the child in the house with his dad. He explained that he'd had an argument with his mom and decided to drive himself home. Officers declined to charge the boy because he's too young to be held criminally responsible. [WSMV, 11/15/2025]

It's Raining ...

A woman driving to work on Nov. 19 in Bryson City, North Carolina, was stunned when a cat fell from the sky and crashed through her windshield, shattering about half the glass on the passenger side. The Charlotte Observer reported that the cat had been seen by a witness struggling with the eagle that was flying with it; the car was traveling at about 55 mph when the cat made impact. The driver was uninjured, the cat didn't make it, and the eagle made a quick exit. [Charlotte Observer, 11/21/2025]

The Passing Parade

Kohl Bertels, 33, had an unusual explanation for breaking into a Circle K store on Nov. 23, eating a bag of beef jerky and drinking a sweet tea, The Smoking Gun reported: "I know you're going to think I'm crazy," he said, "but there is an AI intelligence speaker in my neck." Bertels kicked through the glass door of the store in St. Charles, Missouri, around 2:15 a.m. He explained that the voices in his head told him to break the door, since it was locked. He faces charges of burglary and property damage, but it's not his first rodeo: His rap sheet is full of felony burglary convictions. [The Smoking Gun, 11/24/2025]

Recurring Theme

A Buddhist temple near Bangkok, Thailand, was the site of an unsettling situation on Nov. 23 after a woman was brought in for cremation, the Associated Press reported. The "deceased" was in a white coffin that her brother delivered to the temple, but as workers went to unload the cargo from the bed of a pickup truck, her brother heard a faint knocking. "I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled," said the 65-year-old brother. "I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time." The woman's brother said she stopped breathing two days before; after her startling recovery, she was sent to a local hospital. [AP, 11/25/2025]

Bright Idea

CNN reported on Nov. 25 that an unnamed 57-year-old man in Borgo Virgilio, Italy, dressed up as his mother, Graziella Dall'Oglio, and tried to renew her government ID card so that he could continue to collect her pension. He wore a wig, makeup and her clothing, but authorities were tipped off by the hair on his neck and chin. Inconveniently, the signora passed away in 2022 at age 82. Her son, an unemployed nurse, did not report her death to authorities. When they visited his home, they found his mother's mummified body in the laundry room closet, wrapped in sleeping bags. An autopsy was ordered, and the son was held in a local jail. [CNN, 11/25/2025]

Scrooge Lives

On Nov. 22 (which, arguably, is a tad early for Christmas carolers), Paul Brian Susie, 58, was taken into custody in Annapolis, Maryland, after he allegedly pointed a firearm at three 12-year-old girls who arrived at his house to sing Christmas carols. WMAR2-TV reported that the incident happened around 8:30 p.m.; police recovered a loaded .40-caliber Glock handgun from Susie's home. Exhibiting "loud and belligerent" behavior as he was questioned, Susie admitted to pointing the gun at the girls. He was charged with first- and second-degree assault. [WMAR2, 11/25/2025]

Redneck Chronicles

Around 1 a.m. on Nov. 19, Hancock County (West Virginia) Sheriff's officers responded to a call about a man suffering a gunshot wound while a rifle was being cleaned. WKRC-TV reported that when officers arrived, two men at the home revealed the real story: They had been shooting out the second-story window of the home at rats, they said, and the gun went off when one man tried to take it from the other. The victim was transported to the hospital; homeowner Mark Fuller was charged with wanton endangerment involving a firearm and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. [WKRC, 11/21/2025]

Questionable Judgment

Fifteen-year-olds aren't known for their excellent judgment, but this kid's antics were on another level. On Nov. 24 in Jerusalem, firefighters were called to a 36-story skyscraper with a crane on top -- and a 15-year-old atop the crane. The teenager was trapped on a small platform above the building. The kid told rescue teams he had scaled the crane around midnight to "see the view," the Associated Press reported. Fire official Eyal Cohen said they've responded to a number of cases of young people scaling large buildings. "This is a serious incident that ended in a miracle," Cohen said. [AP, 11/24/2025]

Goals

In northern China, an unidentified 23-year-old man was the victor in a lying-flat contest, the South China Morning Post reported. The contest at a shopping mall on Nov. 15 started out with about 240 people lying flat on mattresses; 186 of them had quit within 24 hours. After 33 hours and 9 minutes, just three contestants were left, and organizers upped the competition by asking them to raise their arms and legs. "My girlfriend sent me a link to the competition and suggested I have a go," the winner said. His prize was about $420. "I will use the money to treat my friends for a hotpot dinner," he said. [SCMP, 11/23/2025]

It's a Mystery

Authorities in Flagler County, Florida, are trying to solve the mystery behind some "suspicious incidents," Click Orlando reported. Between Nov. 12 and 17, in seven separate circumstances, a masked man was captured on surveillance video leaving a piece of wood and a $1 bill on front porches of homes. One family, who received two different deliveries, said the second one had writing on the wood: "The Midnight Stalker is coming for Palm Coast." Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly called the incidents "unnerving" and said the person could face charges of trespassing, loitering and prowling, and littering. [Click Orlando, 11/21/2025]

When Philadelphia roommates Jessica Yang, 33, and Nicole DeNardo, 31, moved in together in 2022, they both cared for Yang's cat, Gary. Later, as Yang tackled a home renovation project, DeNardo offered to care for Gary, People magazine reported. However, Yang learned that DeNardo had changed Gary's last name at the vet and added herself to his microchip information, making it seem as if she was his owner. DeNardo argued that the vet's office made the name change on their own, and she was only trying to protect him by adding her name to the emergency information. Still, she and Yang clashed when it was time to move out of their apartment about who was the real owner. "She said I was unfit to be a pet parent," Yang said. In December 2024, Yang sued DeNardo (to the tune of $20,000), and on Nov. 5, the court ruled in favor of Yang because she had originally bought the cat. "I just hope he's OK and has all the things he needs, and is living a good life," DeNardo said. [People, 11/19/2025]

The Tech Revolution

In San Francisco, where self-driving taxis are ubiquitous, one rider recorded a video during his early November journey in a Tesla Robotaxi, KRON-TV reported. The Tesla taxis are required to have a "safety driver" -- a human who sits behind the wheel but doesn't drive. And while that just makes all sorts of sense, if the driver isn't awake, it's not much use. "The safety driver literally fell asleep at least three times during the ride," the passenger said. "Each time, the car's 'pay attention' safety alert went off and the beeping is what woke him back up." The rider waited a week to post the video on Reddit, as he gave Tesla a chance to respond. In the meantime, the California Public Utilities Commission said it is "aware of the video and taking follow-up actions to gather more information." The rider chose Waymo for his return trip. [KRON, 11/20/2025]

Government in Action

Matthew Thornhill, a St. Charles County (Missouri) Circuit judge, has been suspended and will be banned from holding judicial offices in Missouri, Fox2Now-TV reported on Nov. 19. Thornhill was found to have engaged in several acts of misconduct, including discussing politics from the bench, but his most notable overstep was occasionally wearing a large plastic Elvis wig and sunglasses while presiding over the court. Thornhill said he was trying to "add levity" and relax people, but he can see how his actions affected the solemnity of the proceedings. He admitted to the charges against him and waived his right to an appeal, and with that, Elvis has left the building. (Thank you, thank you very much.) [Fox2Now, 11/19/2025]

It's a Mystery

On Nov. 18, Paige Batten got a call about a home she had for sale in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Local 3-TV reported. The potential buyers wondered when Batten would be replacing the driveway at the home, which Batten hadn't planned on. Then she learned that the day before, at least three trucks had been at the home, including two backhoes and a dump truck. Neighbors assumed that Batten had contracted for the driveway to be removed, but, neighbor April Renner said, "Somebody unfortunately stole it somehow, which is bizarre." Days later, Batten heard from a local concrete company, which said it had been given the address by a scammer posing as a legit customer. The company poured Batten a new driveway free of charge. [Local 3-TV, 11/18/2025]

Bright Idea

When your seniors can't get out much anymore, why not bring the party to them? That's what one retirement home in Kunheim, France, has done. The Roseliere home has opened a pub to the public after obtaining a liquor license, RTL Today reported on Nov. 19. The bar opens before lunchtime, and residents say they love it. "It makes us see things in a more positive light!" said Colette Knoery, 96. Director Robert Kohler said the gathering spot aims to foster intergenerational exchanges and provide a sense of community. "Contacts are being made, and that's the kind of thing we're looking for, that extra touch of soul that we want to bring to our residents," he said. Now, in the nearby town of Barr, a similar project is underway. Sante! [RTL Today, 11/19/2025]

Buyer Beware, or What's in a Name

United Press International reported on Nov. 20 that a talking teddy bear called Kumma has been pulled from retail shelves after the AI-powered toy ventured into questionable topics. A group of researchers from the U.S. and Canada held conversations with Kumma and found it easy to get the $99 bear to discuss sexually explicit topics including spanking, roleplay and BDSM. The researchers said Kumma would take a particular topic and "run with it, simultaneously escalating in graphic detail while introducing new sexual concepts of its own." The bear also offered advice about where to find sharp knives in the house. CEO of FoloToy Larry Wang said his company is "conducting an internal safety audit." [UPI, 11/20/2025]

It's Good To Have a Hobby

Martin Stroby, 42, of Helsingborg, Sweden, has earned a Guinness World Record for the dubious achievement of stuffing matches in his nostrils, United Press International reported on Nov. 18. The previous record was 68 wooden matches; Stroby was able to shove 81 into his nose. "I discovered I could both stretch my nostrils a lot and also ignore the pain from putting all those matches in there, so I would say I'm a natural," Stroby said. "As a father I want my children to look up to me in the same way I look up to my father." [UPI, 11/18/2025]

Glutton for Punishment

Andre McKechnie, 54, is serving a life sentence for murder in Port Phillip Prison in Victoria, Australia; but just because he's doing hard time doesn't mean McKechnie thinks it's fair to do without the ... finer (?) ... things. To that end, the inmate is suing the Victoria Department of Justice and Community Safety, as well as Corrections Victoria, the company that manages the prison, to lift their ban on Vegemite. Yes, the thick, brown, shiny, yeast-based paste that former U.S. President Barack Obama once tried and called "horrible" is an amenity the convicted murderer claims helps him "enjoy his culture as an Australian." Vegemite was banned in Victoria prisons in 2006, after officials determined that prisoners were using its odor to hide drugs from narcotic detection dogs. CNN reports that the case is scheduled for trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria next year. [CNN, 11/18/2025]

Only in Canada

On Nov. 11, an unnamed 36-year-old man entered a bus in Hamilton, Ontario, while the driver was taking a short break outside, Fox5-TV reported. Then the man drove off, with all the passengers still inside. He drove around, making stops to let people off and on, and even denied one person trying to board without a bus pass. Police followed the bus and eventually took the rogue driver into custody, but praised his skills: "There was not a ding on the bus," said Trevor McKenna of the Hamilton police. "He did a great job." He was charged with theft over $5,000, possession over $5,000, obstructing police and driving while prohibited. [Fox5, 11/14/2025]