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Chicago's Famous Rat Hole Wasn't Made by a Rat

Researchers say a squirrel likely left the sidewalk imprint

(Newser) - Chicago's famed "rat hole"—a rodent-shaped impression in a North Side sidewalk that drew crowds and offerings from locals—wasn't actually made by a rat, the New York Times reports. Dubbed "Splatatouille," the mysterious hole captured the city's imagination, with many believing a...

Trump Slams Time Over Cover Photo
Trump Slams
Time Over
Cover Photo
Oct 14, 2025 12:17 PM CDT

Trump Slams Time Over Cover Photo

Magazine 'disappeared my hair,' says president

(Newser) - President Trump has a new beef with Time magazine: its choice of a cover photo of him. See the image here . The president took to Truth Social to criticize the photo as maybe the "Worst of All Time." He acknowledged that the accompanying story about the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire...

So It Turns Out Your Long List of Facebook Friends Is a Lie

Brainpower limits genuine human relationships to around 150: says anthropologist Robin Dunbar

(Newser) - Despite the boundless reach of social media, our brains are wired to juggle no more than about 150 meaningful relationships—a social ceiling rooted in our evolutionary past, according to British anthropologist Robin Dunbar. His research comparing primate brain sizes and social groupings—published as far back as 1993,...

Calling Someone a 'Foodie' May Now Be an Insult

Term went from niche obsession to everyday identity in American dining culture

(Newser) - The term "foodie" may have peaked, and faded, but its spirit is now woven into American culture. Once, being a foodie meant seeking out rare cheeses, enduring hourslong lines for pastries, and knowing the backstory of every chef in town. It was a subculture powered by TV stations...

DOJ: Staffers' Posts Didn't Hurt Mangione's Case

They expressed their views about his guilt

(Newser) - Federal prosecutors are pushing back against claims that two Justice Department staffers compromised Luigi Mangione's right to a fair trial by reposting President Trump's pointed remarks about Mangione along with their own opinions. In a letter to the Southern District of New York, prosecutors argued the employees were...

SC Couple's Fiery Halloween Decor Keeps Fooling Neighbors

Illusion of flames, smoke triggers emergency calls nightly from folks who think home is on fire

(Newser) - A South Carolina couple's Halloween decorations are causing such a stir that neighbors keep calling 911, mistakenly thinking the home is on fire. Sam Lee and Amanda Riggins Peden, known in Fountain Inn for their extravagant spooky displays, have taken things up a notch this year, per USA ...

Zach Bryan, Homeland Security Clash Over ICE Song Lyrics

Country singer defends tune about immigration raids amid heated online backlash

(Newser) - Country music heavyweight Zach Bryan has landed in the crosshairs of the Department of Homeland Security after previewing a new song that references ICE immigration raids, reports the Guardian . A snippet that Bryan posted online includes pointed lyrics about law enforcement and children left frightened by raids, leading DHS...

Supreme Court Says No to Laura Loomer

Court declines to hear case challenging far-right activist's social media bans

(Newser) - The Supreme Court has declined to hear Laura Loomer's case against Facebook and X, ending her fourth attempt to sue the social media platforms that banned her during her congressional campaigns. Loomer, a prominent far-right activist, was banned from Twitter, now X, in 2018 for "hateful" behavior,...

Young Girls Killed While 'Subway Surfing' in NYC

Deaths spark warnings as deadly trend continues

(Newser) - Two girls were found dead atop a Brooklyn-bound subway train in New York City on Saturday morning, highlighting the ongoing risks associated with so-called "subway surfing." The incident prompted renewed warnings from transit officials about the dangers of riding outside train cars, NBC News reports. According to...

TikTok Search Prompts Expose Teens to Adult Content: Report

Watchdog says algorithms steered minors to explicit material, despite safeguards

(Newser) - A new investigation claims that TikTok's search algorithms have been steering 13-year-old users toward explicit content, even when using the app's "restricted mode," which is designed to filter out inappropriate material, per CNN . The watchdog group Global Witness set up seven accounts in the UK,...

Facebook Post Brings Death Sentence in Tunisia

Court finds 51-year-old insulted president and spread false information

(Newser) - A court in Tunisia has sentenced a 51-year-old man to death over Facebook posts deemed offensive to President Kais Saied and a threat to state security, his lawyer said Friday. The defendant, who has not been identified, was convicted on Wednesday of three charges: attempting to overthrow the state, insulting...

Teens Charged After Catastrophic Car Surfing Stunts

Authorities hope the Pennsylvania cases will deter risky social media challenges

(Newser) - Two Pennsylvania teens are facing criminal charges after separate TikTok-inspired car surfing stunts left a 17-year-old dead and a young woman with irreversible injuries. The two incidents, which prosecutors say were unrelated, both occurred in Northampton County, 80 miles north of Philadelphia. In the first case, David Nagy, 17,...

Murder Trial Grips France Despite No Body, Little Evidence

Circumstantial evidence and online theories fuel national fascination

(Newser) - A high-profile murder trial has gripped France, not because of shocking violence or dramatic confessions, but for its stubborn central mystery: the absence of a body. Monday saw the start of the trial of Cédric Jubillar, a 38-year-old painter-decorator from southern France who is accused of killing his...

Abortion Advocates Warn Online Content Is Vanishing

Clinics, others say abortion-themed posts are being censored, even if they don't violate platform policy

(Newser) - Clinics, advocacy groups, and individuals who share abortion-related content online say they're seeing informational posts being taken down, even if the posts don't clearly violate platform policies. The groups, in Latin America and the US, are denouncing what they see as censorship, even in places where abortion is...

After Meeting With Xi, Trump Has News on TikTok

Trump, WH official say 'progress' has been made on deal; Trump also says he'll meet Xi next month

(Newser) - Trump talked with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by phone on Friday in a push to finalize a deal to allow TikTok to keep operating in the US. According to the Wall Street Journal , that deal was approved, with a group of investors set to take control of the company's...

Wearing a Michael Vick Jersey, NFL QB Posed With a Dog

Cardinals' Kyler Murray faces backlash for posing with dog while wearing shirt tied to disgraced QB

(Newser) - Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray apologized on Wednesday after drawing criticism for sharing photos online of himself in a Michael Vick jersey while posing with his dog. "I saw how it affected people and ... decided to take it down," Murray said at a press conference , adding, "...

School Drops Student Over Video of Kirk's Death

Abbott had called for expulsion by Texas State

(Newser) - Texas State University has expelled a student after a video surfaced showing him mocking the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus memorial. The footage, shared widely online, depicts the student imitating Kirk's fatal shooting, including falling to the ground, and making crude comments. Texas Gov....

US Tennis Star Ruffles Feathers With Her Take on Chinese Food

Taylor Townsend apologizes after online backlash to her mocking of traditional dishes

(Newser) - American tennis star Taylor Townsend says she will do "better" in the future after sparking outrage online for her take on traditional Chinese dishes. Townsend, who is in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, posted videos to Instagram in which she expressed shock at dishes made...

Trump Extends TikTok Deadline Yet Again
Trump Gives TikTok
Another 90 Days
Sep 16, 2025 4:10 PM CDT

Trump Gives TikTok Another 90 Days

With deal reportedly close, he extends deadline for a 4th time

(Newser) - President Trump has hit pause yet again on the nationwide TikTok ban, granting the popular video-sharing app another 90-day reprieve with an executive order signed Tuesday. This marks the fourth time Trump has held off on enforcing a law that would kick TikTok out of the United States, buying more...

Meta Ordered to Reinstate Porn Star's Instagram
Porn Star Nabs a
Big Win Against Meta
Sep 15, 2025 11:08 AM CDT

Porn Star Nabs a Big Win Against Meta

Top Columbian court says Instagram ban was unlawful, orders policy changes

(Newser) - A top Colombian court has ordered Meta to overhaul its privacy policies after ruling the company unlawfully silenced a prominent adult film actor by shutting down her Instagram account. Esperanza Gomez, who'd amassed over 5 million followers, claimed her account was shut down without explanation after she posted...

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