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)

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*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 stealing from self-checkout. What do they take? (Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, Dec 8, 2025)

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*This episode was recorded in my living room.

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)

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

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)

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

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, 2026)

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

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

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*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)

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*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)

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*This episode was recorded in a hotel room.

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)

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*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

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 looks like Darth Vadar and the evil Empire's stormtroopers (The Sun, Apr 8, 2017)

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*This episode was recorded in a hotel room.