Condensed Soup

You've probably heard the rumors of crows being intelligent -- but how smart are they? The answer will surprise you. Unless you're a crow. 10 Fun Facts About the American Crow (Rachel Fritts, Audubon Magazine, Aug 25, 2021) Crows: Facts about the clever birds that live all over the world (Alina Bradford, Marilyn Perkins, Live Science, Jun 18, 2025) Crows could be the smartest animal other than pri...

Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, is set to receive the new twice-yearly HIV prevention shot; plus, more about the African country, an absolute monarchy. Eswatini is the first African country to get twice-yearly HIV prevention shot (Farai Mutsaka, AP, Nov 18, 2025) Eswatini confirms receiving $5.1m from the US for accepting deportees (Farouk Chothia, BBC, Nov 18, 2025) Swaziland king renamed country '...

A few hoaxes from history -- would you fall for them?  7 of the Biggest Literary Hoaxes in History (Colin Scanlon, Mental Floss, Nov 13, 2025) 12 Famous Hoaxes That (Almost) Fooled Everyone (Carrie Bell, Readers Digest, Jun 10, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

Craving a crispy Coke? You're not alone. Here's why our bodies and brains love sodas.  There's a reason you're so hooked on soda. It's not entirely your fault (Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, Nov 12, 2025) Why soda is so addictive — and some good alternative beverages (Lisa Drayer, CNN, Oct 28, 2019) Move over Pepsi. Dr. Pepper is coming for you. Sodas are tied for America's 2nd favorites (Sara Che...

Don't throw away those banana peels! They're treasure, not trash. 8 things you didn't know about bananas (Andrew Mach and Carey Reed, PBS, Jan 24, 2016) Benefits of bananas also include those peels! (Chiquita (dot) com, Nov 22, 2020) 20 Clever Uses for Bananas (Besides Eating Them) (Reader's Digest Editors, Sep 21, 2024) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was re...

You think you're a high-maintenance guest? Wait until you hear about these riders.  Cynthia Erivo had a 'witchy' way to get in character for 'Wicked: For Good' (Patrick Ryan, USA Today, Nov 14, 2025) From Bey to Biebs: here's what 7 stars have in their backstage riders (BBC Radio 1, accessed Nov 14, 2025) The 30 Most Absurd Celebrity Riders of All Time (Alex Warner, Esquire, Dec 5, 2022) Instagram...

It's cuddling weather, and if you're lucky enough to have a bonfire or fireplace, here are some tips to keep you safe. Sorry, you can't recycle everything by burning...  7 Items You Should Never Burn in Your Fireplace (Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, Nov 13, 2025) Ekstedt (official, accessed Nov 13, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a cruise...

Food storage can be the key to getting the most out of your groceries, both in reducing waste and maximizing nutrition. Here are some tips to keep your produce and other food as delicious as possible! Fruitful advice for getting the most from a refrigerator and making groceries last longer (Cheyanne Mumphrey, AP, Nov 9, 2025) Are You Storing Food Safely? (FDA (dot) gov, accessed Nov 12, 2025) The...

The art of doing nothing is now competitive. Think you've got what it takes to truly zone out? 'Space-Out Competition Rewards Day-Dreaming (Luis Prada, Vice, Oct 14, 2024) Could you do nothing for 90 minutes? In South Korea, it's a sport (Seung-ku Lee, National Geographic, Aug 18, 2025) Doing Something is Better Than Doing Nothing For Most People, Study Shows (Fariss Samarrai, UVA Today, Jul 3, 20...

Same-sex marriage in the U.S. is safe (for now). But it's a good reminder that our rights, while hard-won and God-given, are still fragile, and we have to be loud in our support and advocacy.  Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide (Mark Sherman, AP, Nov 10, 2025) 'It is a kind of marriage': When Denmark held the first ever same-sex civil unions...

Meet the Trackchair, a cross-country mobility device that is letting disabled nature lovers hike and explore new terrain.  'Everyone said it was impossible': disabled hikers find freedom through off-road wheelchairs (David Wallis, The Guardian, Nov 8, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

This is your sign to clean your water bottle. The truth behind it AND some great tips on how to do it! Yes, you do need to clean your water bottle. Here's why and how (Adithi Ramakrishnan, AP, Nov 8, 2025) Are you cleaning your water bottle enough? (Jessica Brown, BBC, Mar 17, 2025) Your Water Bottle is Filthy. Here's How to Clean It. (Alma Avalle, Bon Appetit, Jan 12, 2022) Water We Doing? Gen Z...

Libraries are more than just havens for readers -- they have so much more to offer, bibliophile or not!  Musical Instrument Lending Library (Brooklyn Art Museum, accessed Nov 7, 2025) Ten Unexpected Things to Check Out at Public Libraries (Juhi Bhatia, Mellon Foundation, Oct 10, 2024) The Brooklyn Public Library now lets you borrow works of art for a three-week period (Laura Ratliff, Time Out, Oct...

If you live in Paris, you could secure an exclusive address for eternity (if you've got the cash). Plus, an ancient pet cemetery may prove we've always had special relationships with our pets. Paris residents can enter lottery to share cemetery space with Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde (Jack Guy, CNN travel, Nov 5, 2025) Graves of nearly 600 cats and dogs in ancient Egypt may be world's oldest pet c...

Japan is sending troops in to fight a rise in bear attacks. Do you know what to do if you run into a bear?  Japan deploys the military to counter a surge in bear attacks (Mari Yamaguchi, AP, Nov 5, 2025) Japan deploys troops to combat record wave of deadly bear attacks (Arata Yamamoto and Peter Guo, NBC News, Nov 5, 2025) Japan Deploys Military Forces After Spate of Bear Attacks (Newsweek, Nov 5,...

Old subway cars and other modern discards have been building up artificial reefs along the East Coast. Once used to ferry city dwellers from place to place, now they're homes for fish.  No Longer Full of Commuters, Atlanta's Old Subway Cars Are Now Filled With Fish (Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, Sep 16, 2024) Dumping subway trains into the ocean … in a good way (Phoebe Park, CNN, Feb 27, 2015)...

Norman Rockwell is famous for portraying the promise of the American dream -- but his heart lay in exploring how those promises are broken. We're Norman Rockwell's family. Trump's DHS has shamefully misused his work. (The Rockwell family, USA Today, Nov 2, 2025) Norman Rockwell + The Problem We All Live With (Amy Pastan, The Kennedy Center, accessed Nov 3, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast co...

China is sending astronauts to the moon -- and a space station! (Is it out of spite?) China says it's on track to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 ahead of space station mission (Andy Wong, AP, Oct 29, 2025) China's Shenzhou 21 docks with space station, sets the country's own speed record (Andy Wong and Fu Ting, AP, Oct 31, 2025) Shenzhen: The city that built China's tech empire (Chen Xiangming...

Should a Disney World trip count as truancy? The first Condensed Soup at Sea episode starts off with some theme park tales that are less-than-usual. Disney Donates $1 Million for Hurricane Melissa Relief Efforts in Jamaica (Jackie Gailey, WDWinfo (dot) com, Oct 31, 2025) U.K. Influencer Family with 22 Kids Reportedly Fined for Pulling Them Out of School to Go to Disney World (Colson Thayer, People...

Penny for your thoughts! Except they don't make them anymore. Pennies are leaving circulation -- we chat the fallout.  McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies (Mike Snider, USA Today, Oct 31, 2025) Banks and retailers run short on pennies as the US Mint stops making them (Ken Sweet, ABC News / AP, Oct 30, 2025) What does the end of the penny mean? Here's what e...

This is a companion episode to yesterday's chat on the SNAP benefits freeze. Now we tackle what we can do and how we can help our communities -- and a reminder that if you need help, it's okay to accept it. Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a hotel room. 

DoorDash is stepping in to help, as SNAP benefits are indefinitely paused on Saturday, November 1st. Here are some facts about SNAP benefits and the people that use them.  DoorDash unveils crisis plan as millions face possible loss of SNAP benefits (Bonny Chu, FOXBusiness, Oct 27, 2025) As millions of Americans prepare to lose SNAP benefits, some states are moving to bridge the gap (Megan Lebowitz...

Have you heard of chessboxing? It's chess. And boxing. Plus, a check-in with you and your communities.  James Canty Wins Heavyweight Chessboxing World Championship (Colin McGourty, Chess (dot) com, Oct 16, 2025) Chess Boxing (Chess (dot) com, accessed Oct 28, 2025) Chessboxing: the unique sport becoming a global hit (Justin Klawans, The Week US, May 29, 2025) Chessboxing By Hook or By Rook (Brett...

A one-man passion project provides Brazilians with an arthouse cinema and a Brooklyn art lover creates a lending library in her home. All around the world, passion projects are making art accessible. A man in Brazil turned his childhood dream into a small cinema for film lovers (Gabriela Sa Pessoa, AP, Oct 12, 2025) Gallery Particulier Makes a New Art World Possible (Elizabeth Lepro, UP Magazine,...

Rome's ancient ampthitheater, the Colosseum, will be hosting concerts -- and gladiator fights, maybe. Plus: how you can get a free breakfast next week.  World Series grand slam means free breakfast at Denny's How to get it. (Mike Snider, USA Today, Oct 25, 2025) Raves at Rome's ancient amphitheater? New Colosseum director sets the record straight (David Biller and Silvia Stellacci, AP, Oct 26, 202...