Brad Matthews

Oh, my gourd! Pumpkin weighing 2,749 pounds wins annual contest and breaks world record

A pumpkin weighing more than 1.3 tons broke a world record for the heaviest pumpkin and won the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off held yearly in Half Moon Bay, California.

October 11, 2023

Italian archaeologists uncover immaculate frescoes in the ‘Tomb of Cerberus’

Archaeologists working in Giugliano, Italy, have uncovered a Roman-era tomb with immaculately preserved frescoes, including one featuring the mythical three-headed guard dog Cerberus.

October 10, 2023

Man suffers leg injury and is arrested after jumping into pool at 9/11 Memorial

A 33-year-old man hurt his leg after jumping down into the North Pool at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Monday.

October 10, 2023

Panic at pro-Israel vigil at University of Florida leads to stampede, injuring at least five

Panic erupted at a pro-Israel vigil held on the University of Florida campus Monday night, causing a stampede that injured at least five attendees.

October 10, 2023

Powerball prize reaches $1.73 billion, the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history

After Monday's drawing did not produce a winner, the Powerball jackpot rose to $1.73 billion. If won, it would be the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

October 10, 2023

Hackers compile database of people of Jewish descent using stolen 23andMe user data

Hackers on the website BreachForums stole user data from genealogy testing company 23andMe, targeting two particular groups: people of Jewish descent and people of Chinese descent.

October 7, 2023

Walgreens workers plan to walk out on job for three days next week

Workers at Walgreens pharmacies nationwide are planning to walk out on the job on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to protest their working conditions.

October 7, 2023

Baltimore’s Morgan State University canceled homecoming activities after shooting

Baltimore HBCU Morgan State University canceled most homecoming activities this week and postponed what it did not cancel after a shooting in between two events left five victims injured.

October 7, 2023

Nearly 1,000 songbirds died colliding with the lit-up windows of a Chicago convention center

Bright lights in Chicago confused migrating songbirds flying south for the winter, with nearly 1,000 colliding with the windows of the city's McCormick Place convention center and dying as a result.

October 7, 2023

R.M. Palmer was found liable for not evacuating workers before March explosion

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation into the March 24, 2023, explosion at the R.M. Palmer factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, has found the company liable for failing to evacuate workers beforehand.

October 7, 2023

Towboat owner spots black bear on a boat floating in harbor in Naples, Florida

A Florida towboat business owner got a shock when he saw a black bear hanging out on a catamaran in the harbor of Naples, Florida earlier this week.

October 6, 2023

Arkansas health officials identify first locally acquired case of malaria in decades

Arkansas Department of Health officials have identified a case of locally acquired malaria, the first such case of the mosquito-borne disease in the state in decades.

October 6, 2023

Yeehaw: Here come Crocs cowboy boots

Croc Day on Oct. 23 will bring a fan idea to life: Crocs cowboy boots.

October 6, 2023

D.C. residents, government surprised by unannounced fireworks show in Arlington

The D.C. government and residents were surprised Thursday night by a nearly 15-minute burst of fireworks, launched from the Potomac River near Arlington, Virginia.

October 6, 2023

Taylor Swift’s concert film already draws $100 million in advanced tickets, says AMC Theatres

Taylor Swift's film of her latest concert, "The Eras Tour," has already sold $100 million in advanced tickets worldwide ahead of its Oct. 13 release, distributor AMC Theatres said.

October 6, 2023

FedEx cargo plane forced into crash landing in Chattanooga

An issue with the aircraft's landing gear caused a FedEx Boeing 757 cargo plane to crash land at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.

October 5, 2023

Shortage of woodland camouflage uniforms leads to temporary relaxation of Marine rules

Units of the Marine Corps will be allowed to relax uniform rules in light of a shortage of the standard woodland camouflage uniforms normally required for Marines.

October 5, 2023

Girl Scouts will not be selling popular new raspberry-flavored cookie in 2024

Although the Girl Scouts of the USA confirmed it will not be selling last year's new and popular "Raspberry Rally" cookies for the upcoming 2024 season, the organization said it wasn't keen on buyers looking to the resale market for them.

October 5, 2023

It’s raining baby spiders in San Francisco as people see webbing falling from the sky

Residents of the San Francisco area saw a curious sight in the sky Wednesday: strands of white webbing floating down to the ground, carrying baby spiders inside them.

October 5, 2023

Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.4 billion after latest drawing fails to produce winner

After Wednesday's Powerball drawing failed to produce a winner, the lottery's jackpot rose to an estimated $1.4 billion.

October 5, 2023