Condensed Soup

Being a woman in 2026 is tougher for some than others. Here's the proof.  The Best and Worst States To Be a Woman in 2026 (Nitya Rao, Mental Floss, Mar 2, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Lindsey Vonn's Olympic and injury journey can help us understand our rehab timelines, as Olympians and non-Olympians alike. Lindsey Vonn's ACL tear and the truth about exercising while injured (Dana Santas, CNN, Feb 11, 2026) Lindsey Vonn's Torn ACL and Near-Amputation: A Complete Timeline of Her 2026 Olympic Games Accident (Samantha Agate and Daniel Trainor, US Weekly, Mar 4, 2026) Instagram: @co...

Punch the macaque monkey has gone viral and caused an IKEA plushie to sell out worldwide. Punch the monkey stole the internet's heart. Now fans are sweeping up his IKEA plushie (Jack Bantock, CNN, Mar 3, 2026) Punch the monkey, viral star, experiences dramatic breakthrough among zoo mates (Khloe Quill, Fox News, Mar 2, 2026) 12 Fascinating Facts About Macaques: The Smart Primate (Wildlife Nomads,...

Marcus, a labrador in Australia, didn't make it through a guide dog program. Luckily, he found his place as a therapy dog.  Canine carer: how guide dog school dropout Marcus came to comfort cancer patients for a living (Kate Leaver, The Guardian, Mar 1, 2026) What do Therapy Dogs do? (Integris Health, Apr 25, 2024) Instagram:  @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorde...

American abroad? Make sure you're aware of current operations.  Americans worldwide urged to be cautious after US operations in Iran (Eve Chen, USA Today, Mar 1, 2026 Rom-coms are having a moment, from 'Heated Rivalry' to 'Nobody Wants This' and even Broadway (Mark Kennedy, AP, Feb 27, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Self-checkout fraud is on the rise, and people are getting creative -- and desperate. Man accused of using taco seasoning packets to steal $40K from Target (Fernando Cervantes, Jr., USA Today, Feb 27, 2026) Florida man accused of manipulating Winn-Dixie self-checkouts, stealing nearly $10K in groceries over 8 months (Joey Swanson and Ariel Plasencia, Fox 13, Feb 27, 2026) More shoppers admit to st...

Group chats -- you either love them or hate them. Here's how to make sure you're being a good group chatter. One Tech Tip: Unspoken group chat rules you're probably ignoring, but shouldn't (Kelvin Chan, AP, Feb 27, 2026) 14 Group Texting Etiquette Rules Everyone Should Follow (Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Reader's Digest, May 23, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This e...

Orlando's famous swans are falling victim to bird flu... 32 birds found dead at Lake Eola in the last month; 26 were swans (Madilyn Destefano, WESH 2, Jan 12, 2026) Meet the Ornery Granddaddy of Orlando's Famed Swans (April White, Atlas Obscura, Apr 18, 2023) Swan Song: 5 fun facts about these majestic creatures (Stephanie Gagnon, National Wildlife Foundation, Oct 25, 2019) Instagram: @condensedso...

Customers with squeaky sneakers are suing On athletic shoes for too many squeaks during their runs. The squeaky wheel gets the grease! Customers sue sneaker company On over shoes that cause 'noisy and embarrassing squeak' (Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, Oct 17, 2025) How To Stop Your On Cloud Shoes Squeaking (Trail & Kale, Oct 19, 2025) The surprising science of squeaky sneakers (Dan Fox, Nature, Feb 25...

Trader Joe's fried rice has been recalled! Ever made your own? Check Your Freezer: Trader Joe's Popular Fried Rice Recalled Due to Dangerous Glass Contamination (Lisa Milbrand, Real Simple, Feb 23, 2026) All About Chinese Fried Rice (Rhonda Parkinson, The Spruce Eats, Jul 4, 2019) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

It's cold and flu season, and we can all do our part -- by making sure we're not superspreaders! (Hint: slur your words.) 'Some people have 10 million times more virus than others': Are you a flu superspreader? (David Cox, BBC, Jan 29, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.  

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry will be around even through "funding lapses" (but you should probably plan for it to be closed).  DHS reverses decision to suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry due to shutdown (Ayesha Ali and Luke Barr, ABC News / Yahoo, Feb 22, 2026) Government Monitors Global Entry Travelers Daily, Even If They Aren't Traveling (Newsweek, Sep 9, 2023) Instagram: @condensedsouppodca...

Ring backtracks on its surveillance partnerships and another bout of winter conditions are blowing through the Northeast. Ring cuts ties to company that helps police days after Super Bowl ad (Melina Khan, USA Today, Feb 13, 2026) Blizzard warnings expand as blockbuster nor'easter takes aim at New York City, Northeast (Chris Dolce, Andrew Freedman, CNN, Feb 21, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcas...

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's masterpiece, is one step closer to being finished. 'A joyful day': final piece of Sagrada Familia's central tower put in place (Stephen Burgen, The Guardian, Feb 20, 2026) Barcelona's Sagrada Familia reaches its maximum height after more than a century (Suman Naishadham, AP, Feb 20, 2026) How Spanish city of Barcelona inspired Star Wars with architecture that l...

The Olympics medals aren't doing as well under pressure as the athletes. This year's Olympic medals are generating chatter — for their defects and price (Juliana Kim, NPR, Feb 12, 2026) Gold Isn't Always Gold: The Surprising Value of Olympic Medals (Kate Franke, Good Housekeeping, Feb 11, 2026) Instagram:  @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a hotel room.

Pim from Pennsylvania is on track to becoming the all-time highest Girl Scout cookie seller! Meet Pim, the Girl Scout whose internet fame catapulted her cookie sales (Kate Perez, USA Today, Feb 16, 2026) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a hotel room.

Dallas has brought in 200 goats to help with landscaping, keeping up the age-old tradition of hiring kids to do it. Dallas hires 200 goats to clear invasive plants at White Rock Lake (Madi Marks, Fox 4 KDFW, Feb 5, 2026 What Do Goats Eat? Not Avocados or Rhubarb! (Yara Simón, How Stuff Works, Mar 25, 2025) Why Do Goats Eat Everything? (Find Out the Do's and Don'ts) (Tim Rhodes, Goats Authority, Au...

Grapefruit is good for you -- right?  You could soon enjoy grapefruit without the bitterness (Michael Le Page, New Scientist, Feb 14-20, 2026, p. 14) Grapefruit Is One of the Weirdest Fruits on the Planet (Dan Nosowitz, Atlas Obscura, Oct 6, 2020) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Mardi Gras beads find their way into New Orleans storm drains every year. A team from Louisiana State University is trying to solve that. Biodegradable Mardi Gras beads help make Carnival season more sustainable (Travis Loller and Stephen Smith, AP News, Feb 15, 2026) Mardi Gras Fast Facts (CNN, Jan 26, 2026) New Orleans Finds 93,000 Pounds of Mardi Gras Beads in Storm Drains (NPR Morning Edition,...

Neti pots and nasal rinsing are great for reducing allergies and chronic sinus issues. Are you doing it correctly?  Neti pots explained: What they do and how to use them safely (Daryl Austin, USA Today, Feb 8, 2026) Nasal Saline Irrigation and Neti Pots (Frances Gatta, Amy Gopal, Web MD, May 21, 2024) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom...

Americans eat more peanut butter than any other country -- and luckily, it may not be as bad for as as we thought. Is peanut butter bad for cholesterol or is it actually heart-healthy? (Daryl Austin, USA Today, Feb 7, 2026) A brief history of peanut butter (Kate Wheeling, Smithsonian Magazine, January 2021) 25 Fun Facts About Peanuts & Peanut Butter (National Peanut Board, accessed Feb 13, 2026) I...

A robot fish that eats microplastics and turns them into energy -- THIS is the future. Plastic-Eating Robot Fish Could Revolutionize Ocean Cleanup (The Weather Channel, Jan 25, 2026) Scientists Innovate a Tiny Robot Fish That Eats up Microplastics in Ocean — and It Needs No Battery (Neha B., Green Matters, Jul 31, 2025) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was rec...

This year, we're reading more! Have you read these classics? (And do you have any to send my way?) 100 must-read classics, as chosen by our readers (Sarah McKenna and Penguin Editors, May 27, 2022) https://www.penguin.co.uk/discover/articles/100-must-read-classic-books Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom. 

February is more than just Valentine's Day! Here's what to look forward to this month.  29 Offbeat Holidays to Celebrate This February (Mental Floss, Jan 10, 2024) https://www.mentalfloss.com/holidays/weird-holidays/february-unusual-holidays Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Almost every culture has a dumpling -- and I want to eat all of them.  Beyond Potstickers: Around the World in Dumplings (J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Serious Eats, Oct 31, 2023) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me *This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.