Arrested for assault ‘with a sugar container’

To quote from a report out of New Jersey:

A Wawa customer was arrested in Cumberland County after he was accused of assaulting two people with a sugar container in a bizarre fight.

Police said two customers, a 46-year-old Vineland man and a 41-year-old Bridgeton woman, got into an argument that turned physical.

The Vineland man pushed past an employee and grabbed a Wawa sugar container, according to an affidavit.

The man poured sugar on the other customer and a 55-year-old female Wawa employee, police said. The man then struck both women with the sugar container, police said.

He was charged with third-degree counts of aggravated assault on a store employee and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, along with a disorderly persons charge of simple assault.

Rise of the STIs

From Australia: a safe sex PSA that is packed with over-the-top AI-generated monsters and horror movie tropes.

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Bar in legal tussle over barber-themed name and decor

To quote from a news report out of Nebraska:

A legal setback and potentially “ruinous” state fines have forced a trio of Omaha siblings to at least temporarily rename the family’s “Barber Shop Blackstone,” a speakeasy bar they christened in honor of their longtime hair stylist dad.

Here’s the long and short of it: A state board that oversees the professional barber trade demanded a change, arguing that state law allows only licensed barbers to use the title and display the familiar red, white and blue barber pole.

Mike DiGiacomo and his brother and sister filed a lawsuit in February, alleging that the Nebraska Barber Shop Act violates their First Amendment rights by restricting “non-misleading” commercial speech. They said their marketing made clear that the barber-themed bar served cocktails, not buzz cuts and fades.

But after a federal judge’s April 20 decision to deny the family’s request for a preliminary injunction that could have prevented the state board from pursuing civil or criminal action pending a final resolution, the siblings acquiesced, sort of. 

For the time being, the bar near 40th and Farnam Streets will call itself the “Censored Shop.” And the barber shop pole marking the mostly hidden speakeasy off of an alley in the popular Blackstone District will be “blacked out.”

Tickets vs. Tickets

From Canada: Air Transat has come up with an unconventional way of promoting international travel—by comparing the cost of travelling to a country with the more excessive cost of watching that country’s World Cup matches.

A public reminder to not discharge cannons

From a post on the official Facebook page of the town of Allegany in New York state, USA:

Town of Allegany officials would like to remind residents that the discharge of cannons and similar explosive devices is not permitted within the Town.

The use of cannons presents serious public safety concerns, including risks related to noise, fire, explosives, and potential injury or property damage. Residents are reminded that violations may result in enforcement action under local and state law.

We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping keep our community safe.

As to what may have led to this ‘reminder’, one news report offered this insight:

Town Supervisor Chris McPherson tells 2 On Your Side they've received several complaints over the past 2-3 weeks about a cannon-like explosion being set off. He believes it's coming from just outside the village on the west end of town, in a neighborhood of roughly 20 to 30 homes. He added that no one is in danger, but the noise has been disturbing to residents.

Chief of Police Paul Griffith says nothing has ever been reported to his department. However, he and a few officers did hear what sounded like a cannon a few days ago. Officers were not able to pinpoint where it was coming from. They believe it could be someone shooting the explosive Tannerite in the Town of Allegany.

A ‘plea’ to profit from children

UK-based charity, Smartphone Free Childhood, has a new campaign that uses satire to make its case for age restrictions on social media.

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Life’s Biggest Bill

From Australia: online restaurant-reservation service, OpenTable, marked Mother’s Day with a one-of-a-kind receipt.

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Car Chosen

A new spot for automobile brand Cupra finds inspiration in an iconic scene—and an iconic character—from the Harry Potter series.

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Firing squad welcome

From Mississippi: the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office has put out this Facebook post showcasing one of its billboards:

DA Barton welcomes you to Mississippi.

‘The Devil may wear Prada but the Pope wears Nike’

No, that’s not a slogan for Nike.  Not yet, anyway.  Rather, it’s the headline for a report on a website that tracks brands and campaigns, and which took note of the Pope’s sneakers, as seen in the trailer of a forthcoming documentary.

To quote from the report:

Nike’s most unexpected brand ambassador wears a cassock

A trailer released by Vatican News for Leone a Roma — a documentary marking the first anniversary of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate — has gone viral for a reason its makers almost certainly didn’t anticipate.

In a brief clip from the two-minute video, the Pope is seen wearing a pair of box-fresh white Nike sneakers, the black Swoosh clearly visible beneath his official vestments.

As for what may have led to the Pope’s choice, the report had this to say:

Leo, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, has form as a sports fan: he’s a documented White Sox supporter and a city native who came of age during the Jordan-era Bulls.

The Nike loyalty, in that context, feels less surprising than it perhaps should.

‘Adopt Me’ Dog Kills Pet At Marathon Event

To quote from a report out of Washington state, USA:

The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County says it is reviewing its policies and taking responsibility after a dog being showcased for adoption at the Tacoma City Marathon fatally attacked another attendee’s pet.

The incident happened Sunday, May 3, near the finish area at Dune Peninsula in Point Defiance Park, according to the Humane Society and witnesses.

The dog involved, identified by witnesses as “Dallas,” was reportedly wearing an “Adopt Me” vest and was accompanied by a Humane Society volunteer at the time of the attack.

The Humane Society later confirmed Dallas was classified as dangerous following the attack and was euthanized.

When a bank rep hung up on the Pope…

It’s a story that was narrated by Rev. Tom McCarthy—a friend of Pope Leo XIV—at a recent talk titled ‘Pope Fiction.’  This is how one report summarized it:

Two months into his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV called his bank in South Chicago to change his phone number and address.

The former Robert Prevost answered all his security questions posed by the teller, but there was still a problem.

To change his phone number and address, he was told he’d have to show up in person.

“‘Well, I’m not going to be able to do that,’” said Pope Leo, according to his longtime friend, the Rev. Tom McCarthy, who told the story April 29 to the Fishers of Men at Saints Peter and Paul in Naperville.

“‘We can’t do it over the phone?’” the pope asked, according to McCarthy. “‘I already gave you all the security questions.’”

After that, he tried pulling rank.

“Would it matter to you if I told you I’m Pope Leo?” the pope apparently asked.

Click.

“She hung up on him,” McCarthy said. “Could you imagine being known as the woman who hung up on the pope?”

So, the pope made some more phone calls.

He reached McCarthy’s classmate, the Rev. Bernie Scianna, who “somehow” got someone who reached the bank’s president, McCarthy said. The bank’s president reiterated the bank’s policy: Customers must change their phone number or address in person, not over the phone.

When Scianna threatened to move Pope Leo’s account to a different bank, the president said the bank didn’t want to lose the pope’s account.

Shortly after that, the bank followed through, and changed the information on Pope Leo’s account.

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‘Points of view’, 40 years on

The Guardian has brought back its iconic 1986 advert, with added context for the current times.

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Dark Mode Ads

It’s an initiative from renewable energy utilities firm Plenitude, launched across Italy, Spain, and France, to reduce energy consumption by transforming LED advertising screens to ‘dark mode’ while “preserving their visual effectiveness”.

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Online review of skirt leads to deportation

To quote from a news report:

A court in Russia’s central Tula region has ruled that a foreign national must be deported over a review he left for a leather skirt that he purchased online.

The man was cited for a review he posted in September 2025 on a faux leather skirt sold on the e-commerce site Wildberries. According to the court ruling, which was flagged by Mediazona, he uploaded photos of himself wearing the skirt and wrote: "What a lovely little skirt! It hides not just the flaws in my figure, but also the fact that I'm a guy."

The court described the review as "openly promoting the appeal of non-traditional sexual orientations." The man admitted guilt and asked the court not to deport him. The ruling notes that the review has since been taken down.

He was detained on 23 April. After serving five days of administrative arrest, he was to be transferred to a temporary detention centre for foreign nationals in the town of Kimovsk, where he can be held for up to 90 days pending deportation.

Great characters, with you forever

The staying power of movies is delightfully visualised in this new spot for Vue Cinemas, directed by Taika Waititi.

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Adidas unveils World Cup jerseys for dogs

To quote from the press release:

adidas today unveils the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Home Jerseys Pet Collection, bringing the iconic tournament looks to four selected federations for the first time – and ensuring that fans’ most loyal companions can now join the matchday lineup.

Launching across North America, Latin America and selected markets in Asia, the new collection allows football fans to kit out their favourite furry companions in matching federation colours and celebrate their love for the game together. The range features pet jerseys inspired by the home kits of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Japan.

This is how ESPN headlined its reporting of this news:

Dress your dog like Messi with 2026 World Cup kits for pets!

This is how SportsLogos.net headlined its coverage:

Adidas Goes to the Dogs With Launch of World Cup Kits for Pets

Also of note is this comment by a co-founder of the Scottish Football Supporters Association, as quoted by The Daily Star:

We are really disappointed that there is no Scotland kits for dogs.

We have rich history of dogs following many of our teams and feel that Adidas should maybe rethink things before the World Cup kicks off.

S. Africa withdraws AI policy… because of AI

As reported by Reuters:

South Africa has withdrawn its first draft national AI policy after revelations that it ​contained fictitious sources in its reference list ‌which appeared to have been AI-generated.

“The most plausible explanation is that AI-generated citations were included without proper verification. ​This should not have happened,” Minister of ​Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi said.

“This ⁠failure is not a mere technical issue but ​has compromised the integrity and credibility of the ​draft policy,” he wrote in a post on X on Sunday.

‘Test’ foot forward

In a new spot for Decathlon, a robot ends up getting first-hand experience of the MH900 hiking shoes.

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Sam Peckinpah, as immortalised on IMDb

IMDb biographies can be expected to be formally worded and loaded (or overloaded) with praise.  Consider, then, the bio of Sam Peckinpah, which starts with this unconventional introduction:

“If they move”, commands stern-eyed William Holden, “kill ’em”. So begins The Wild Bunch (1969), Sam Peckinpah’s bloody, high-body-count eulogy to the mythologized Old West. “Pouring new wine into the bottle of the Western, Peckinpah explodes the bottle”, observed critic Pauline Kael. That exploding bottle also christened the director with the nickname that would forever define his films and reputation: “Bloody Sam”.

And this is how it concludes:

Peckinpah lived life to its fullest. He drank hard and abused drugs, producers and collaborators. At the end of his life he was considering a number of projects including the Stephen King-scripted “The Shotgunners”. He was returning from Mexico in December 1984 when he died from heart failure in a hospital in Inglewood, California, at age 59. At a standing-room-only gathering that held at the Directors Guild the following month, [James] Coburn remembered the director as a man “who pushed me over the abyss and then jumped in after me. He took me on some great adventures”. To which Robert Culp added that what is surprising is not that Sam only made fourteen pictures, but that given the way he went about it, he managed to make any at all.