Condensed Soup

  A British 10-year-old child found a friendly face on a recent walk -- a wild axolotl, the first one ever found in the UK.  Axolotl love: British 10-year-old discovers endangered spacers in UK (Drew Pittock, USA Today, Apr 23, 2026) Axolotls: Meet the amphibians that never grow up (Hayley Dunning, Natural History Museum, accessed Apr 24, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton...

James Ortiz, whose puppetry is featured in the film 'Project Hail Mary,' is eligible for an Oscar. Who knew that would be so controversial? An Oscar for Rocky? 'Project Hail Mary' Puppeteer James Ortiz Is Eligible for Best Supporting Actor (Clayton Davis, Variety, Apr 21, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

The next time you go on a road trip, remember -- it could be worse. You could be driving a three-wheeled car from London to South Africa... Madonna Offering Reward for Personal Vintage Pieces Missing After Coachella Performance (Ariana Brockington, Today, Apr 20, 2026) How 2 men claimed an absurd record by driving an old 3-wheel car the length of Africa (Gerald Imray, AP, Apr 21, 2026) Reliant Rob...

A hot air balloon makes an emergency landing in a backyard. We're amazed they can accurately land anywhere at all--! Mind if we drop in? Hot air balloon with 13 aboard makes emergency landing in California backyard (Ed White, AP, Apr 20, 2026) History of Ballooning (National Balloon Museum, accessed April 21, 2026) 10 Little-Known Facts About Hot Air Ballooning (North Light Balloon Expeditions, ac...

We've been going to the wrong raffles. Turns out, there are some prizes too good to be true -- like ribeyes and art masterpieces.  Charlize Theron slams Timothee Chalamet for 'reckless' ballet remarks (Brendan Morrow, USA Today, Apr 19, 2026) Hot dogs and steaks and bacon, oh my! Meat raffles keep a beloved Midwest tradition alive (Steve Karowski and Mark Vancleave, AP, Apr 15, 2026) What is a Mea...

After his virally successful pandemic project, Sir Patrick Stewart has released a new recording of all 156 of Shakespeare's sonnets. Patrick Stewart Reads All 156 of Shakespeare's Sonnets in New Audiobook (Todd Spangler, Variety, Mar 5, 2026) Sonnet (Poets (dot) org, accessed Apr 19, 2026) Interesting Facts about the Sonnet (Interesting Literature, accessed Apr 19, 2026) 'Pop Sonnets' Finds Hidden...

Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani prioritizes sleep and travels with a mattress. It's giving me ideas.  Shohei Ohtani Strives to Be the Absolute Best … Even at Getting Some Shuteye (Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated, Mar 15, 2024) How often should you change your mattress? (Katie Mortram, Good Housekeeping, Oct 23, 2024) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was...

The Sagano Romantic Train in Kyoto, Japan, has been named the most scenic route in the world, and it's worth seeing at every season! This 4-mile Train Route Was Named the Most Scenic in the World — and It Has Cherry Blossoms and Stunning Mountain Views (Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, Apr 15, 2026) 'Today' host says she fell asleep on Amtrak train, got trapped (Saman Shafiq, USA Today, Apr 7, 2026)...

Don't underestimate ants -- they're money in the bank... and the yogurt in your parfait? Kenyan court jails Chinese man in ant-smuggling case (NBC News / Reuters, Apr 16, 2026) Scientists and Chefs Team Up to Make Yogurt From Ants (Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, October 6, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Blind runners have been running marathons with human guides, but for the first time, technology is allowing them to do it unassisted.  Blind marathon runner to be guided by smart glasses (Patrick Hughes and Charlotte Andrews, BBC, Apr 2, 2026) Blind runner navigates Brighton Marathon using only smart glasses (Cameron Ormond, Canadian Running, Apr 13, 2026) This Blind Runner Ran a Half Marathon — w...

Kids are reading less and less ... but we can still help them expand their vocabulary. Plus, the Chalamet effect.  'Cheers, Timmy!' Royal Ballet and Opera head thanks Chalamet for 'fantastic' boost to sales (Catherine Shoard, The Guardian, Apr 14, 2026) Susie Dent's tips and tricks to add muscle to a child's vocabulary (Sally Weale, The Guardian, Feb 12, 2026) Children's vocabulary shrinking as re...

Just when we thought we were doing everything right -- some advice on how to best clean your tongue. Trust me, you should be doing it. Because biofilm.  "This is as important as your teeth': are you skipping this key part of mouth hygiene? (Sarah Sloat, The Guardian, Apr 10, 2026) Coconut Oil Pulling for better Oral Hygiene (Dr. Kelley Fisher, accessed Apr 13, 2026) Tongue Hygiene: Unmasking the F...

A zoo in Amsterdam is now a certified Night Sky Urban Sanctuary. When was the last time you really saw the stars?  This is the First Zoo in the World to Be a Certified Night Sky Sanctuary — and You Can Visit After Dark, Too (Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, Nov 20, 2025) Causes of light pollution (DarkSky, accessed Apr 12, 2026) What is light pollution? (DarkSky, accessed Apr 12, 2026) Light Pollut...

Oh no, we have to clean another thing? Your suitcase has been on all SORTS of adventures... Your Suitcase Is 58 Times Dirtier Than a Public Toilet Seat, Study Finds — and Here's the Dirtiest Spot (Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, Jul 9, 2025) How to Clean a Suitcase (and Why You Should), According to Luggage Experts (Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, Jul 25, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast cond...

To help care for the thousands of plants inside the Mall of America, they've brought in some special help -- ladybugs! Ladybugs take over the Mall of America (KMSP / Yahoo News, Apr 7, 2026) What Does It Mean When You See a Ladybug? Experts Explain Their Symbolism (Jill Gleeson, Country Living, Dec 11, 2025) Ladybugs are Good for Your Garden (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resour...

Hopefully, you'll only run into alligators in controlled environments. But just in case -- here's some info on what to do. Spoiler: you'll have to get your hands (er, fingers) dirty... 10-Year-Old Florida girl Pries Leg From Alligator's Mouth (Alex Johnson, NBC News, May 8, 2017) How to survive an alligator attack — or better yet, avoid one entirely (Forrest Brown, CNN, May 7, 2022) Instagram: @co...

Want to up your cocktail or mocktail game? Try adding a foam layer to impress your guests.  United just increased checked bag fees. Here's how much you'll pay. (Kathleen Wong, USA Today, Apr 2, 2026) Why 'Fluffy Juice' Is the Cocktail Upgrade You'll Want to Try This Year (Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, Mar 19, 2026) How Egg Whites Transform Cocktails (Fonze, The Chopping Block, Dec 21, 2022...

Baguettes -- the classic French loaf, best seen tucked under the arm while bicycling or peeping out of a tote bag, are declining in popularity.  The baguette faces an uncertain future. How France is rethinking its iconic loaves (Vivian Song, CNN, Nov 8, 2025) Quick Guide to French Bread (Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia, accessed Apr 7, 2026) Bokao's Nightclub (See Provence, accessed Apr 7, 2026)  

The CIA World Factbook, longtime global reference manual, was unceremoniously discontinued earlier this year.  Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone (Laurie Kellman, AP, Apr 5, 2026) Spotlighting the World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell (CIA, Feb 4, 2026) CIA terminates its World Factbook, overthrowing reference regime (Harmeet Kaur...

Exotic leathers are controversial, but what if no animals are harmed -- because they're extinct?  The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever (J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Serious Eats, Sep 21, 2025) Forget Crocodile. This New One-of-a-Kind Handbag Is Made From Lab-Grown 'T-Rex Leather.' (Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, Apr 3, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded i...

We've all overslept. But when Kansas City Royals rookie Carter Jensen did it, it made national news.  Royals' Carter Jensen pulled from lineup after sleeping through alarm (Elizabeth Flores, USA Today, Apr 3, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.  

It's Easter weekend. Time for... true crime podcasts and murder mysteries? Welcome to Norway. Påskekrim: The Norwegian Obsession with Crime at Easter (Life in Norway, Jul 13, 2025) In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories (Jessica Furseth, Atlas Obscura, Apr 18, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

March Madness is coming to a close, and it's not just the teams that might be winners. A local furniture chain is offering customers refunds if both UConn teams make the finals! A New England furniture store will refund customers if both UConn teams make the NCAA title games (Dave Collins, AP, Apr 2, 2026) 25 Extremely Bizarre or Ill-Advised Promotions in Sports History (Andrew Robeson, Bleacher R...

Someone is sitting pretty on 12 tons of stolen KitKats -- and KitKat is hoping we can all help catch the thieves.  KitKat launches tracker to help recover 400K stolen candy bars (Melina Khan and Mike Snider, USA Today, Apr 1, 2026) Sugar high(st): more than 12 tons of KitKat's 'new chocolate range' stolen in Italy (Gloria Oladipo, The Guardian, Mar 28, 2026) Japanese Kit Kat Flavors: The Complete...

If you've been living with a Google username you'd rather ditch, you can now change it. Never say never, millenials!  Have an embarrassing Gmail address? You can now change it. (Kate Perez, USA Today, Mar 31, 2026) Odd Facts You May have Forgotten (or Never Learned) About Google (Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, Inc (dot) com, Apr 1, 2014) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This e...