This is True, Really News

"Carpet for your ONLY hole?" We aren't making it up—we're just reading the signs. Welcome to This is True Really News Mailbag #223 , the only podcast where the news is weird, the commentary is questionable, and the hosts are only three cups of coffee away from total insanity. In this episode, we dive into the deep end of the Florida news pool where a woman was ticketed for using...

A 75-year-old man in Georgia tried to open a bag of chips with a lighter. The result? 75% of his body burned and a lesson in snack-food flammability. 🔥 Welcome to Episode 1046 of This is True Really News with Scott Combs and Tony Verkanis. Today, we’re covering the stories that make you question the survival of the species, from pressurized cabins turned into gas chambers to the most "dignif...

What happens when a police AI watches too much Disney? You get a report claiming a Sergeant magically transformed into a frog. 🐸 Welcome to Episode 1045 of This is True Really News with Scott Combs and Tony Verkanis. Today, we’re unraveling the most bizarre headlines of the week, from "Vibe-based" law enforcement in Tennessee to a corporate stalking scandal involving funeral wreaths and...

A Gold Coast couple gets robbed, and the police finally respond... with a $6,000 bill. 🇦🇺 Welcome to Episode 222 of the This is True Really News Mailbag . Today, we’re diving into the absolute absurdity of modern life, from "efficient" Australian law enforcement to the high-stakes world of Omani camel beauty pageants. Yes, you read that right: Botox for camels is officially a scandal. In...

Your body is basically a Cold War-era construction site, and Lexington is ready for company from 40 light years away. In Episode 1044, Scot and Tony examine the "Existential Dread" of birthdays, the biology of aging, and why you should never let a "Feng Shui Master" near public road safety equipment. As always, the news is true—as far as you know. Space-Age Bourbon: Lexington,...

Welcome to a week of "Days of Future Past" (and maybe some Moody Blues) as Scot and Tony navigate the world’s most specific phobias and digital prophets. In Episode 1043, we explore the fine line between genius and madness, whether that's in a taxidermy studio or inside a bot's context window. Everything you're about to hear is true—as far as you know. The World of Weird Phob...

The "silky smoothness" of the Mailbag is back, even if Scot is an "imbecile of titanic proportions" for being late. In Episode 221, Scot and Tony dive into the deep end of the Smoking Gun and the Flathead Beacon police blotter to find the stories that make you question humanity’s collective IQ. From high-stakes condiment combat to Olympic-sized dining disasters, we’ve got it al...

Reality is just a writer’s room with a serious drinking problem. Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes are back for Episode 1042 to explore the chaos of senior center "kitchen" wars, questionable airline exits, and why the government’s new health AI is getting some very specific questions about cucumbers. We’re breaking down the headlines that prove common sense has officially left the building...

Forget political commentary— Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes are diving into the "deep towel game" and the unexpected biological security grids of rural England. From resort conspiracies involving terry cloth elephants to high-stakes baccarat in ship laundry rooms, this episode proves that reality is much weirder than anything we could make up. We’re breaking down the latest "investig...

Is the offensive line playing in "beginner mode," or is the defense just that good? Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes break down the grit and grind of the big game, where the battle in the trenches actually determined the winner. From the tactical brilliance of defensive fronts to a certain Seattle running back with serious wheels, we’re cutting through the "cheese" to get to the h...

Hello, meatbags! 🤖 Welcome to Episode 1040 of This Is True Really News , where the facts are real (mostly) and the cynicism is high-octane. Today, Scott Combs and Tony Verkanis dive into the linguistic dumpster to resurrect words you didn't know you needed, like "blatherskite" and "kerglaf." If you feel like your brain is a sponge soaked in Tide Pod juice, you aren't a...

Grab your favorite (legal) stimulant and buckle up. In episode #1039, Scott and Tony dive into the "chintzy" Olympic medals, the mystery of the curling power play, and why the EU is trying to be the arbiter of everything good and ungood. In this episode: The Great Coffee Prohibition: From Sultan Murad IV’s lethal coffee house raids to Frederick the Great’s "Coffee Sniffers" (Ka...

In this week's mailbag, the guys tackle the pressing issues no one else is brave (or bored) enough to discuss. From the "Ok-ish" Super Bowl and the tragedy of missing the Budweiser Clydesdales to why Star Trek is the only sci-fi that isn’t a Dickensian nightmare, we’re covering it all. Plus, we sit down for an exclusive "interview" with the Universe itself (Dr. Cosmo Void)...

Welcome to This is True Really News Episode 1038 ! Hosts Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes bring you the headlines that are 100% true—as far as you know. In this episode: Alien Teleportation or Grand Theft Auto? A Florida man claims extraterrestrials teleported him into a stolen BMW. We discuss the finer points of "quantum entanglement" and alien car theft rings. Cleanup on Aisle 4: A Texas...

Welcome to This is True Really News Episode 1037 ! Hosts Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes bring you the headlines that are 100% true—as far as you know. In this episode: The "Brussels Effect": The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is acting as the world’s digital janitor. We discuss how "managed joy" and "algorithmic purity" are replacing pesky things like opinions and sat...

Welcome to This is True Really News Mailbag 218 ! Hosts Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes dive back into the "silky abyss" of the mailbag to discuss the weirdest news and most bizarre legal restrictions from around the globe. In this episode: The UK’s "Pathways" Game: Is researching immigration statistics really a gateway to a counterterrorism referral? Illegal Spuds & Dancing...

Coast Guard opens recruiting office in landlocked Nebraska, Lego and Crocs team up for the most controversial footwear collaboration ever, a woman gets impaled by a metal rod on LA freeway, and a Louisiana man legally registers a potato as a firearm silencer with the ATF. You can't make this stuff up! This Is True Really News brings you the oddest verified news stories with hosts Scot Combs an...

Scientists discover mammals can breathe through their intestines, a Louisiana woman claims to be a mermaid while trespassing naked, and a priest allegedly fakes raffle winners. This Is True Really News hosts Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes deliver the week's strangest verified stories with their signature humor. In this episode: Japanese researchers confirm cloacal respiration in mammals, openin...

Robot meets train in Miami, Net Radio memories flood back, and USB cables still hate us all. Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes dive into mailbag stories including a food delivery robot's unfortunate encounter with a Brightline train, nostalgic memories from the Net Radio days of the 90s, and cosmic wisdom about USB orientation. Plus, the debut of "Body Zone" - the jingle nobody asked for...

A brutal youth hockey brawl in Hershey, PA has authorities investigating 48-inch-tall "enforcers" who turned Mites on Ice into a scene from Slapshot. Plus, Chinese astronauts hear mysterious knocking in the vacuum of space, a Pennsylvania man is arrested for hoarding 100+ human remains from cemetery mausoleums, and a woman literally chews through police car padding after arrest. Norwegia...

Airlines are set to save nearly $600 million this year thanks to weight loss drugs making passengers lighter—but don't expect your ticket prices to drop! Meanwhile, Rhode Island debates removing Mr. Potato Head license plates after Hasbro moves headquarters, a Polish general gets fired for accidentally leaving anti-tank mines at an IKEA warehouse, and a Florida deputy handcuffs a runaway emu&#...

This Is True Really News Mailbag episode 216 with hosts Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes! Janet (no relation to Cooper) Cupp dominates the comments section while Scot and Tony discuss delayed cargo deliveries, the Harvard morgue body parts scandal sentencing, and preview Monday's new sea shanty about 400 pairs of Victorian boots washing ashore 150 years late. Highlights include updates on Cedric...

Riders stranded on the DC Rivals HyperCoaster were forced to evacuate on foot after a loose scarf tangled in the wheel. Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes discuss the amusement park nightmare before diving into a massive AI fail at a Florida middle school, where the "Zero Eyes" weapon detection system mistook a student’s bass clarinet for a rifle, triggering a police raid. Plus, we cover a wa...

Is the viral trend of sniffing farts to prevent Alzheimer's real science or just hot air? Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes debunk the hydrogen sulfide brainpower myth and explain why "trouser trumpets" won't get you a PhD. Then, we expose the gruesome true crime details of Cedric Lodge and the Harvard Medical School morgue trafficking scheme. Finally, we review the baffling 2025 ER...

Join Scot Combs and Tony Verkinnes for a jam-packed Mailbag edition of This Is True Really News! In Episode 215, we break down the story of a Florida postal worker who took package protection way too far by running a kid off the road. We also look at the chaos in St. Louis where loose monkeys and AI-generated hoaxes are confusing officials, and laugh at a tennis pro who celebrated his Australian O...