News of the Weird: Week of September 17, 2026

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I Do Not Like It, Not One Little Bit

It started with some posts and AI-made memes. Now authorities are warning of some strange social schemes. Newsweek reported on Sept. 10 that the Cat in the Hat, the character of Dr. Seuss fame, is at the center of a viral social media trend that has made its way around the globe. Images and videos -- sometimes AI-generated, sometimes of a real person in costume lurking outside of homes and schools at night -- of the Cat in the Hat are accompanied by menacing text warning of where the "Cat" is headed next and listing specific people or schools as its next targets. Students in Kansas, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky have been apprehended and face criminal charges for participating in the hoax, and school districts in Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Minnesota have put their communities on alert. In Canada, the online hoax turned into a real nightmare when a teenage girl in British Columbia was chased by someone wearing a Cat in the Hat costume. She arrived home safely, but authorities are still looking for the perpetrator. "People should understand that behavior intended as a prank can have serious consequences when it causes another person to reasonably fear for their safety," said Corporal Devon Gerrits of West Kelowna RCMP. [Newsweek, 9/10/26]

Dumpster Diving Gone Awry

An alleged dumpster diver had to be rescued from a garbage truck on Sept. 2, the LA Times reported. A driver for Recology, a commercial waste collection company, picked up and emptied a dumpster, and then ran the trash compactor before hearing yelling from inside the truck and calling 911. When firefighters arrived, they couldn't just reach in and pull the man out -- he might have had crush injuries -- or have the driver dump all the trash out, which could have released hazardous material, such as glass, batteries and even vermin. What followed was a two-hour rescue effort. Paramedics were able to get an IV in the man's arm while firefighters carefully removed the trash with pike poles. The man was conscious when firefighters reached him, and he was taken to a local hospital. The extent of his injuries was undisclosed; one firefighter suffered a laceration injury during the rescue but is in stable condition. [LA Times, 9/3/26]

The Golden Age of Air Travel

An unnamed Italian man made it all the way from Miami to Turin, Italy, with a dried crocodile head in his luggage, The Guardian reported on Sept. 8. The Turin unit of Italy's financial police squad said in a statement that the man wrapped the head in brown packing paper in an evidently feeble attempt to keep it from the astute eyes of customs officers. The man was swiftly taken into custody upon discovery of the croc, and is accused of smuggling a specimen belonging to a protected species. If convicted, the man could have to pay up to $270,000 USD or face a prison term of up to one year. [The Guardian, 9/8/26]

People With Issues

"So this is an interesting case, she thinks the neighbor is having relations with her husband so she pushes her way into the victim's house and then throws poop on the victim, a bucket of poop," is an actual thing a judge said during a recent bond hearing for Yirsi Machado Rivera, 50, of Miami. NBC 6 reported that on Sept. 8, Machado Rivera was arrested on charges of burglary and battery after attacking her neighbor with a bucket of human feces the night before. Machado Rivera told police that she did, in fact, have such a bucket that she was using while her toilet was out of commission; however, she denies dumping the doody, instead claiming that the neighbor attacked her with a bat. Judge Mindy Glazer ordered Machado Rivera to be held without bond and appointed a public defender. Oh, and leave the poor neighbor alone. [NBC 6, 9/9/26]

Rubber Duckie, You're the One

Police in Chatham County, Georgia, are looking for an unusual suspect. Among his questionable behavior? "Becoming infatuated" with a rubber duck that he played with for 10 minutes while soaking in a hot tub -- uninvited -- at someone else's home. According to WOTC, video footage from Sept. 1 shows an unidentified male trespassing on private property and going for a dip in the pool before availing himself of the hot tub sometime between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. He also helped himself to over $1,000 worth of beach towels before riding away on his bicycle. "It's obviously not the biggest crime we've dealt with this month, but it has a lot of ick-factor," the local police department said in a social media post. "So, we'd like to find this guy so he doesn't do this to someone else." [WTOC, 9/9/26]

Not-So-Speedy Delivery

CBS News reported on Sept. 3 that the City of Denton Animal Services in Texas was contacted by employees at a local FedEx office after they discovered an unusual attempted shipment -- 191 tortoises and turtles. The shelter took custody of the animals and contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which began an investigation. The turtles and tortoises were then moved to the Dallas Zoo for secure shelter. "This unusual rescue is just one example of how our animal services team supports the community," the animal shelter said. "We're grateful for the strong partnerships with our animal welfare colleagues, who help us coordinate responses in unique situations like this." [CBS News, 9/3/26]

Price Check on Corn Snakes

Shoppers browsing at the Heron Foods grocery store in Maryport, England, recently got a little more than they bargained for. On Sept. 2, BBC reported that a baby corn snake had been found in the bread aisle. "Crumbs," as the snake was called, was first taken to a local veterinary practice but ended up being put in the care of an animal education organization. Ben Nicholson of Pet Encounter said the organization has rescued more than 20 snakes so far this year. Whether Crumbs had been abandoned in the grocery store or had escaped from somewhere is unclear, but Nicholson said he believes high costs and a lack of education are playing parts in pets being abandoned. [BBC, 9/2/26]

Oh, Deer!

St. Johns County Sheriff's Office received a call about an unusual home break-in -- one that involved a large buck making its way into the bathroom. According to a Sept. 4 report from WSVN, after moving furniture and offering a few words of encouragement, the deputies were able to guide the buck out of the house ... only for it to fall into the pool outside the home's doorway. With further guidance, the buck got out of the pool and took off running. However, it came back one more time for a quick plunge before making its way back into neighboring trees. The sheriff's office social media post said, "The buck fled before deputies could issue a warning for trespassing." [WSVN, 9/4/26]

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