AUGUST 26, 1998

Full News Archive

• Headline: Outer Banks Faces Hurricane Bonnie Evacuations. Impact: When Hurricane Bonnie decided to crash the Outer Banks party, it inspired the world's first hurricane evacuation reality show. Spoiler alert: no one ever returns to their beach house.. Fact: Did you know that during hurricanes, it’s customary for people to pretend they’re in a disaster movie? Grab the popcorn!.
• Headline: Egypt Captures Notorious Terrorist Leader. Impact: Abu Nidal's capture led to a global game of hide and seek among terrorists. Spoiler: they all started hiding in increasingly ridiculous places like under children's beds and in giant inflatable flamingos.. Fact: Interestingly, Abu Nidal’s name means 'father of struggle' – which is ironic, considering he had a knack for making everyone else do the struggling..
• Headline: Hurricane Bonnie Hits New York Area Hard. Impact: Hurricane Bonnie's rampage in New York led to the invention of the 'hurricane-proof beach umbrella.' It was a total flop until people realized they could just use it to shelter from bad weather... or bad dates.. Fact: Did you know that drowning in a riptide is just nature's way of telling you to avoid the ocean? Thanks, Mother Nature!.
• Headline: Toms River Takes the Fun and the Streak Into a Semifinal. Impact: Toms River's Little League victory inspired a new generation of kids to chase dreams of athletic glory, only to realize that their real talent lay in binge-watching sports instead.. Fact: Did you know that Little League is just a fancy term for 'let’s hope these kids don't throw all the balls into the neighbor's yard'?.
• Headline: The Serpent In the Garden Of Renewal. Impact: The fight to save community gardens led to the birth of the 'Green Thumb Revolution'—a movement that would eventually inspire hipsters to plant avocados in their apartments.. Fact: Did you know that community gardens are nature's way of saying, 'You can grow something here, but please don't grow that terrible mullet?'.
• Headline: The Chef; From Scratch, . . . Almost. Impact: Charlie Palmer's napoleons recipe led to a pastry craze that resulted in over-ambitious bakers trying to impress their in-laws, only to create culinary disasters and family therapy sessions.. Fact: Did you know that a 'napoleon' is just a fancy way of saying 'layered pastry that will ruin your diet and your kitchen'?.
• Headline: Up Close, Golfers Are Amazing. Impact: George Vecsey's coverage of Vijay Singh's victory gave rise to the ‘I only watch golf for the fashion’ movement, sparking debates on the best plaid patterns in competitive sports.. Fact: Did you know that golf is the only sport where the most intense competition can be interrupted for a leisurely stroll? Talk about a game of patience!.
• Headline: China Admits Ecological Sins Played Role in Flood Disaster. Impact: China’s admission of ecological sins created a ripple effect in global environmental policy. Suddenly, politicians everywhere began to blame their mistakes on 'bad weather' and 'unforeseen consequences.'. Fact: Did you know that admitting your mistakes can actually make things worse? Just ask any politician trying to fix a pothole!.