Condensed Soup

Stephen Colbert is prepping for his next gig -- writing the next Lord of the Rings movie and becoming part of a universe that has inspired people all over the world.  Stephen Colbert's next epic quest? Writing a new 'Lord of the Rings' movie (Ivy Buck, NPR, Mar 25, 2026) 'What is this if not magic?' The Italian man living as a hobbit (Lorenzo Tondo, The Guardian, Sep 6, 2021) Soviet TV version of...

Easter approaches, and there's a shortage of chocolate eggs in American stores. Music Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea realizes lifelong dream with solo jazz album, 'Honora' (Krysta Fauria, AP, Mar 25, 2026) 'Dangerously moreish': the best supermarket Easter eggs, tasted and rated (Tom Hunt, The Guardian, Mar 28, 2026) Why do we have Easter eggs and the Easter bunny? (BBC, Feb 17, 2023) Instagr...

Rolex has a trade school in Dallas, free of charge, to train the newest generations of watchmakers -- and applications for the newest cohort open later this year.  Rolex has just opened a trade school for watchmakers in Texas. Already competition is as fierce as Harvard's, and students could walk out with $95,000 jobs (Emma Burleigh, Fortune, Feb 26, 2026) The Future of Watchmaking, One Student At...

Black currants are set to be the "it" food of the season. We think. Could this be the start of America getting on board?  This Is the Flavor of 2026, According to McCormick — and It Will Be Everywhere (Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, Dec 9, 2025) Grether's Pastilles (accessed Mar 27, 2026) Black Currants (Montana Berry Growers, accessed Mar 27, 2026) Blackcurrants could help end bad (for the pla...

The nineties are back -- and malls are no exception! Anyone want an Orange Julius? Gen Z is making shopping malls cool again (Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, Mar 26, 2026) Mall Madness (Wikipedia, accessed Mar 26, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.  

The classic film Jaws has been terrifying movie audiences and beachgoers for decades, but now you can see it in Austin, immersively -- in the water. Need at thrill this summer?  Jaws on the Water (Volente Beach, accessed Mar 25, 2026) 26 Incisive Facts About 'Jaws' (Sean Hutchinson, Mental Floss, May 16, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in m...

On the anniversary of Tennessee Williams's birthday, people commemorate the American playwright by rewatching the film adaptations of his plays -- or screaming "STELLA!!!" into the air. Annual Stella shouting contest at Tennessee Williams fest crowns new winner (Jesse Brooks, Fox 8, Mar 23, 2026) The Stella Shouting Contest Kicks Off This Year's Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival...

Cabbage is the newest trendy food. It's about time. 2026 Is the Year of the Cabbage: Meet the Most Underrated Leafy Green (Audrey Noble, Vogue, Jan 13, 2026) 2026 will be the year of the cabbage (Kim Schweitzer, Business Insider, Dec 15, 2025) "It" Vegetable for 2026 and Chefs Love It (Jenna Helwig, Real Simple, Jan 7, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode wa...

Extreme weather continues to plague the U.S., prompting even more allergy symptoms.  Worst flooding in 20 years hits Hawaii; evacuations say 'LEAVE NOW' (Dinah Voyles Pulver and Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, Mar 21, 2026) Welcome to allergy season. Here's how to protect yourself. (AP, Mar 22, 2026) New spring 2026 forecasts warn of the dreaded 'heat dome' (Doyle Rice, USA Today, Mar 21, 2026) Insta...

It's March Madness, the annual collegiate basketball tournament. This all-American sport gets more popular globally every year.  Where Basketball was Invented: The History of Basketball (Springfield College, accessed Mar 21, 2026) 10 fun basketball facts to celebrate the inaugural World Basketball Day (FIBA Basketball, Dec 20, 2023) Tallest college basketball player ever towers over 6-foot-8 oppon...

Camels and Botox? The scandal that can't leave camel beauty pageants alone... Another Camel Beauty Contest Is Hit By A Botox Cheating Scandal (Tanya Akim, Forbes, Feb 24, 2026) People Are Giving Camels Botox to Cheat at Beauty Pageants (Elizabeth Rayne, Mar 11, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a hotel room.   

A 7-ton meteorite just broke apart over Ohio, with a sonic boom heard from Maryland to Wisconsin. Meteorite hunters scour Ohio for fragments of 7-ton space rock that crashed into Earth (Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos and Mark Scolforo, AP, Mar 19, 2026) Local family believes they found meteorite in driveway: How to authenticate your find (Suzanne Stratford, FOX 8, Mar 18, 2026) Tonnes vs. Tons: Metric vs...

A man accidentally hacked into 7,000 robot vacuums. Are our Roombas sleeper cells?  The accidental hacker: how one man gained control of 7,000 robots (The Guardian, Feb 24, 2026) Man accidentally gains control of 7,000 robot vacuums (Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, Feb 21, 2026) How Robotic Vacuums Work (Julia Layton, How Stuff Works, accessed Mar 18, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condens...

Today, two examples of gamifying labor. The classic smartphone game Pokémon Go has been using player game data and labor to map the world. Plus, ReCAPTCHA provides security -- and your security logins are digitizing books and articles.   If you're still playing Pokémon Go, you're helping train data-gobbling GPS AI for Niantic Spatial (Fran Ruiz, Eurogamer, Mar 16, 2026) How Pokémon Go is giving de...

St. Patrick's Day is here! Don't forget to hydrate if you head to the pub.  World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade to return to Hot Springs (Kathryn Roley, THV 11, Mar 16, 2026) How Corned Beef and Cabbage Became a Holiday Staple   (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mar 15, 2013) Learn All About the Origins of Corned Beef and Cabbage (Meaghan Glendon, Westchester Magazine, Mar 12, 2025) Instagram...

Grey hair may be inevitable for most of us. We're learning more about the way hair loses pigment -- and possibly how to reverse that. Is it true that … if you pluck a grey hair, two will grow in its place? (Kate Lloyd, The Guardian, Mar 9, 2026) A Study Says Gray Hair May Be Reversible (Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, Jan 30, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This epi...

Renouncing  State Department slashes fee to renounce US citizenship by 80% to $450 (Matthew Lee, AP, Mar 13, 2026) Renounce or lose your citizenship (USA (dot) gov, accessed Mar 14, 2026) Five things to know about statelessness (UNHCR staff, UNHCR USA, Aug 15, 2024) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my hotel room.

Need a tasty new job? Take a bite out of one of these. (And then make a video about it) Hidden Valley hiring 'Ranch-bassadors' to try ranch on European foods (Amaris Encinas, USA Today, Mar 11, 2026) Pizza Hut to pay 'Crust Connoisseur' to eat pizza. See how to apply. (Fernando Cervantes, Jr., USA Today, Mar 11, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recor...

Is there an upside to global warming? King penguins may have an idea.  King penguins are the rare species benefiting from a warming world. But that could change (Seth Borenstein, AP, Mar 11, 2026) Global Temperature Report for 2025 (Robert Rohde, Berkeley Earth, Jan 14, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

New emojis are showing up on your smartphone. Anyone want to talk about cryptids or ballet dancers?  And Condensed Soup pals -- if we were to submit an emoji, what would it be?  8 new emojis are coming to Apple products with iOS 26.4. Take a look. (Greta Cross, USA Today, Mar 11, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Five Guys is giving away burgers through the 12th -- it's both a celebration and an apology. Plus, Australia offers asylum to the Iranian women's soccer team. Five Guys is redoing its BOGO burger offer. How to get the deal. (Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, Mar 10, 2026) Five Guys BOGO Deal Is Back — and Today Is Your Last Day to Use It (Mo. Basuony, Filmogaz, Mar 10, 2026) Five Guys Announces BOGO Redo...

Work parties can be tough for people navigating sober lifestyles.... here's how to make sure the party includes everyone! What to say if you're in recovery and your workplace encourages social drinking (Jaimie Ding, AP, Mar 4, 2026) Gen Z is ghosting alcohol and changing what a 'night out' looks like (Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, Mar 6, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.m...

Boarding a flight? Make sure to pack your headphones!  United Airlines can now refuse to transport passengers who won't wear headphones (Jasmine Baehr, FOXBusiness, Mar 5, 2026) 9 Myths About Flight Attendants That Are 'Just Plain Insulting' (Caroline Bologna, Huff Post, Aug 19, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

The Barkley Marathons are too much for most runners -- and this year, like most, nobody finished them.  Amid Cold, Rainy Weather, No One Finishes the 2026 Barkley Marathons (Brian Metzler, Runner's World, Feb 16, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

The Brady Bunch house is officially on a historic list! Have you visited this Hollywood icon?  'Brady Bunch' home in Los Angeles gets landmark status (ABC News / AP, Mar 4, 2026) 40 Famous Houses From Movies and TV Shows You Can Actually Visit (Maddie Hiatt and Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, Jul 16, 2020) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedr...