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☆ His Book Was Repeatedly Banned. Fighting For It Shaped His Life.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Brian Raftery | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the 50 years since it came out, “The Chocolate War” has become one of the country’s most challenged books. But the tensest battle over the novel may have been fought in Panama City, Fla., in the mid-1980s. That’s when an attempt to ban “The Chocolate War” divided the town, leading to arson and death threats against middle-school teachers. The Mowat teachers endured all sorts of harassment because of their stand. It featured the words “YOU ALL SHALL DIE” in letters cut out from magazines, and mentioned several teachers by name — including Alyne Farrell.

Persons: Robert Cormier’s “, Mowat, Pranksters, Alyne Farrell Organizations: Mowat Middle School Locations: Panama City, Fla

☆ YouTubers said they pranked Tucker Carlson by pretending to be a royal employee behind the Kate Middleton photo fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewTwo YouTubers said they pranked right-wing TV host Tucker Carlson by pretending to be the royal employee behind the Kate Middleton photo fiasco. In a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, the two YouTubers said they faked employment paperwork to dupe Carlson's producers of the Tucker Carlson Network (TCN) into setting up an interview. Related storiesBy the end of the interview, Carlson appears to be thrilled with the exclusive. Kensington Palace announced in January that she had undergone "planned abdominal surgery" and was expected to be recovering until Easter.

Persons: —, Tucker Carlson, Kate Middleton, Josh Pieters, Archie Manners, Kate, Prince, they'd, Manners, Carlson, Wales, Ian Vogler, Princess, Wales's, Kensington Organizations: Service, Business, Tucker Carlson Network, Getty, AP, AFP, Reuters Locations: London, Kensington

Another threat to election officialsAt least four swatting incidents have been aimed at the homes of senior officials who oversee or work to secure elections since December. Separately, a Department of Justice taskforce launched in 2021 has reviewed more than 2,000 allegations of hostility, harassment, abuse, or threats to election officials and staffers, a department spokesperson said. Swatting was featured in a tabletop exercise for election officials in New Jersey last month, a spokesperson for the secretary of state told CNN. Such incidents have prompted The Elections Group, a consulting group led by former election officials, to begin sharing resources on swatting with election workers and incorporating the topic into trainings. A wave of election officials have departed their roles since November 2020, when false claims of a stolen election proliferated.

Persons: Jay Ashcroft, ” Ashcroft, State Jay Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, ”, Ashcroft, Gabriel Sterling, “, we’ll, Sterling, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, swatting, ” Jennifer Doebler, Alan Winston Filion, Filion “, Filion, Jennifer Doebler, Lauren R, Shapiro, Republican Sen, Rick Scott of, Scott’s, Sen, Rick Scott swatting, “ Sir, there’s, “ It’s, Swatting, State Shenna Bellows, Bellows, Donald Trump, Trump, Ashcroft’s, Joe Biden, Tina Barton, ” Barton Organizations: CNN, Missouri’s, Republican, State, Kansas City Star, TNS, Getty, FBI, of Justice, Local, Sandy, John Jay College of Criminal, swatting, ”, Naples Police, “, Trump, Elections, Commission Locations: Jefferson City , Missouri, Missouri, Maine , Georgia, Virginia, Sterling, Britain, Sandy Springs, Kansas, Tennessee, California, Rick Scott of Florida, Naples , Florida, Naples, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine

☆ Employees at a Kentucky Dairy Queen say they were forced to eat ice cream contaminated with cleaning solution
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dairy Queen workers claim a manager forced them to eat ice cream contaminated by cleaning products. The mother of a teen involved in the incident told local news many targeted workers were minors. Police are investigating after employees at a Dairy Queen in Kentucky say they were forced to eat ice cream contaminated with cleaning solution, local outlet WKYT reported. Several of them, she said, experienced burning sensations while eating the ice cream and sought medical treatment, though Business Insider could not verify her claims. However, he said Wolfe County officials are in contact with the county attorney to determine the next steps.

Persons: Angela Patton, Patton, WKYT, Elijah Banks, Wolfe, Ariana Grande Organizations: Police, Dairy, Office, Business Insider Locations: Kentucky, Campton , KY, Wolfe, New York, Japan

So when Taft accused Truman — not long after his “special” train had stopped in Crestline — of going around the country on this campaign train tour “blackguarding (attacking) Congress at every whistle-stop,” Truman embraced the opportunity. Altogether, Segal has cataloged about 180 campaign train trips throughout U.S. history — from William Henry Harrison to Joe Biden, with dozens of presidents, vice presidents, first ladies, representatives, senators and governors in between. The project was inspired by Segal's personal experience organizing a whistle-stop campaign tour for Republican U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, for whom he was serving as press secretary in 1984. Sometimes campaign trains were used in creative ways, too, as when comedian Gracie Allen pretended to run for president in 1940, as the nation was recovering from the Great Depression. In 1972, Winnie the Pooh launched a bid for the White House from Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A., then went on a two-week whistle-stop tour with his trusted advisers, Tigger and Eeyore.

Persons: Crestline, Harry S, — Ohio's, Sen, Robert Taft —, Edward Segal's, ” Segal, toots, ”, Taft, Truman —, “, ” Truman, Truman, Segal, William Henry Harrison, Joe Biden, Mickey Edwards of, ‘, ’ ” Segal, George McGovern, Adlai Stevenson III, Jody Powell, —, Robert Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George Bush, Barack Obama, Jack Bell, Theodore Roosevelt's, Roosevelt, Gracie Allen, “ Gracie, Winnie, Tigger, Linda Horning Pitt, Crestline —, Pitt Organizations: Republican, ”, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, Republican U.S . Rep, Technology, Associated Press, Surprise Party, Democrat, White, Amtrak, Ohio, Federal Railroad Administration Locations: CRESTLINE, Ohio, Crestline, ” U.S, Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, congressman’s, ”, pranksters, Disneyland's, U.S.A

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — With the death last spring of Portland's beloved Valentine's Day bandit, some wondered if the mysterious appearance of red hearts around Maine's largest city would continue. Hundreds of red hearts appeared on storefronts, mailboxes and even trash bins on Wednesday, with giant banners defying gusty winds at DiMillo’s floating restaurant and on construction scaffolding in the Old Port. “Long live the Valentine’s Day Bandit,” said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown. On the website, people can download and print the simple, red hearts and become a bandit. It wasn’t until she started school, she said, that she learned that other people didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with the same fervor.

Persons: “ Long, ”, Cary Tyson, Kevin Fahrman, pranksters, wasn't, Sierra Fahrman, Fahrman, Van, “, Patti Urban, Sierra, Santa Organizations: Portland Public Library, Portland Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, Maine's, Old, Portland, Portland Downtown, Falmouth, Santa Claus

The recordings immediately went viral on social media, and the candidate, who is pro-NATO and aligned with Western interests, was defeated in September by an opponent who supported closer ties to Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin. AI images that falsely depicted former President Donald Trump sitting with teenage girls on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane circulated on social media last month. And once a deepfake appears on social media, it can be nearly impossible to stop its spread. Šimečka said his team and others complained to social media platforms and law enforcement. He said social media platforms need to “put measures in place” to prevent attempts to meddle with an election.

Persons: he’d, Vladimir Putin, ”, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein’s, Trump, “, Subrahmanian, Alex Curtas, Curtas, Jared DeMarinis, ’, ” DeMarinis, Chelsea Carattini, Ilana Beller, haven’t, ” Beller, Paul Vallas, Sean R, Clark, ” Vallas, Vallas, Brandon Johnson, ” “ We’ll, Slovakia Michal Šimečka, ” Šimečka, Šimečka, ” Daniel Milo, Milo, it’s, ” Milo, Janis Sarts, ” Sarts Organizations: CNN, NATO, Northwestern University, Senior, Twitter, Democratic, Chicago, Political, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Public Citizen, State’s, Republican Party, Commission, Progressive, YouTube, Facebook, Slovakia’s Ministry, Meta, NATO Strategic Communications, of Excellence, Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Intelligence Locations: Slovakia, Moscow, Europe, States, New Hampshire, Russia, China, Russian, Northwestern, American, California , Michigan, Minnesota , Texas, Washington, New Mexico, Idaho, Chicago, Progressive Slovakia, Slovakia’s, Latvia

The Red Square mausoleum where his embalmed corpse lies in an open sarcophagus is no longer a near-mandatory pilgrimage but a site of macabre kitsch, open only 15 hours a week. The ideology that Lenin championed and spread over a vast territory is something of a sideshow in modern Russia. “As a result of Bolshevik policy, Soviet Ukraine arose, which even today can with good reason be called ‘Vladimir Ilyich Lenin’s Ukraine.' The Mayakovsky poem that proclaimed Lenin's immortality was “a parting word, or a spell, or a curse,” Rudakov said. At the annual military parade through Red Square, the structure is blocked from view by a tribune where dignitaries watch the festivities.

Persons: soothed, “ Lenin, Lenin, Vladimir Lenin, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Vladimir Putin's, Konstantin Morozov, Gennady Zyuganov, ”, Putin, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin’s, ” Putin, “, VTsIOM, Nadezhda Krupskaya, Lenin's, Yuri Annenkov, Josef Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Russian Orthodox Church —, Bolsheviks —, Stalin, Trotsky, Lenin ”, ’, Vladimir Rudakov, ” Rudakov, Jim Heintz Organizations: Moscow Zoo, Communist Party, Russian Academy of Sciences, AP, Union of Russian Architects, Russian Orthodox Church, Bolsheviks, Tass, The Associated Press Locations: Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, St, Petersburg's Finland, United Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Ukraine, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin’s Ukraine, Soviet, Russian, Red, USSR, Estonia

☆ Ron DeSantis was offered a participation trophy for his presidential campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewIt's not every day you shrug off a man trying to hand you an award, but that's exactly what Ron DeSantis found himself doing on Saturday at a campaign event in Iowa. Before DeSantis could begin a speech to voters holding their GOP caucus on January 15, a prankster interrupted to present the Florida governor with a "participation trophy" for his long shot presidential campaign. DeSantis, I want to present to you this participation trophy," Davram Stiefler of the prankster duo "The Good Liars" said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. AdvertisementRon DeSantis receives a participation trophy with campaigning in Atlantic, IA. Stiefler and representatives for the DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Casey, motioned, Stiefler, Wayne LaPierre, Vivek Ramaswamy, Jason Selvig, Ramaswamy Organizations: Service, Business, NRA, Biden, Trump, USA Locations: Iowa, Florida, Atlantic, Ankeny , Iowa

☆ Giorgia Meloni prank call: Italy’s prime minister talks of Ukraine fatigue on phone
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rome Reuters —Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke of international fatigue with the conflict in Ukraine and a lack of support for Italy in dealing with migration in a phone call with Russian pranksters. Asked about Russia’s war in Ukraine, Meloni, speaking in English, said: “I see that there is a lot of fatigue, I have to say the truth, from all the sides. Addressing Italy’s position as a first port of call for many migrants crossing the Mediterranean, Meloni lamented that international partners were not doing enough to help. He did the talking while Vovan also listened in on the call with Meloni, he explained. Meloni, Italian prime minister for a year, split with her TV presenter partner last month after off-air video excerpts from his program showed him using foul language and appearing to make advances to a female colleague.

Persons: Rome, Giorgia Meloni, Vovan, Meloni’s, “, ”, Meloni, Lexus, Alexei Stolyarov Organizations: Rome Reuters, Italian, Russian, Lexus, African Union Commission, United Nations General Assembly Locations: Ukraine, Italy

☆ Italy PM Meloni talks of Ukraine fatigue, migration in prank call
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacts during a meeting of European heads of state or government in Granada, Spain October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke of international fatigue with the conflict in Ukraine and a lack of support for Italy in dealing with migration in a phone call with Russian pranksters. Asked about Russia's war in Ukraine, Meloni, speaking in English, said: "I see that there is a lot of fatigue, I have to say the truth, from all the sides. Prankster Lexus, or Alexei Stolyarov, said Meloni was at least someone who was willing to share her real opinions. Meloni, Italian prime minister for a year, split with her TV presenter partner last month after off-air video excerpts from his programme showed him using foul language and appearing to make advances to a female colleague.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Juan Medina, Vovan, Meloni's, Meloni, Lexus, Alexei Stolyarov, Alex Marrow, Federico Maccioni, Keith Weir, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Rights, Russian, Lexus, African Union Commission, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Ukraine, Italy

The “Not That Fancy” album is a collection of acoustic covers of McEntire’s biggest hits, with a few surprises thrown in. Like Dolly Parton, who takes the place of Linda Davis on “Does He Love You.”The book, McEntire explained over the phone, is “about things not having to be so fancy or structured. McEntire spoke to The Associated Press about her new album, book, and dressing “tough sexy.”This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: In the book, you describe your style as “tough sexy.” What is “tough sexy?”McENTIRE: I’m a tomboy at heart. So “tough sexy,” to me, when they say, “How do you like to dress?” “I like tough sexy.” “Well, what's that?” “In my cowboy clothes with a sexy side of it.” That's my interior design, also.

Persons: Reba McEntire, “, ”, Dolly Parton, Linda Davis, McEntire, it’s, you’ve, It's, Dave Cobb, Dolly, McENTIRE, Dunn, ” McENTIRE, Ronnie, Brooks, I’m, Alice, Pake, Susie, you've Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, Brooks Locations: “

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —A Japanese sushi chain targeted in a spate of pranks that has sparked concern over hygiene has devised a digital conveyor belt to serve food to customers. The chain had been subject to a string of pranks dubbed “sushi terrorism” since the start of the year. Inspired by viral online videos, pranksters filmed themselves licking shared soy sauce bottles or tampering with food rotating on conveyor belts at the chain’s restaurants. Three Sushiro outlets have been fitted with the new digital conveyor belts. The student from western Hyogo prefecture said he would miss the convenience of being able to pick up sushi directly from the conveyor belts, if they are eventually phased out completely.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, —, Akindo, pranksters, Sushiro, ”, Alessio Procopio, Hideki Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Police, NHK Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Nagoya, Gifu, Japan, Hyogo

☆ I'm a Barbie girl who almost got tricked by a plastic-free hoax
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A fake campaign by environmental activists said Barbie-maker Mattel would go plastic-free by 2030. Outlets like People, The Washington Times , and Dow Jones Newswires reported that Mattel, the maker of Barbie and other toys like American Girl dolls and Hot Wheels, would go plastic-free by 2030. "With our plastic-free commitment, we denounce the empty promises of plastic recycling and take a bold step towards real ecological sustainability. By the end of the day, Yahoo News had the exclusive on the team behind the stunt : The Barbie Liberation Organization. The stunt did make me envision what seaweed Barbie would look like — but it's unclear if that's possible.

Persons: Barbie, I've, that'd, Dow Jones Newswires, Greta Thunberg, Daryl Hannah, Instagram, Hannah, Hannah didn't, Ynon Kreiz, Mattel, Igor Vamos, Mike Bonnaro, Vamos, Adam McKay Organizations: Mattel, Service, The Washington Times, Yahoo News, Liberation Organization, Barbie Liberation Organization, Dot Studios Locations: Russian

☆ Russian Pranksters Dupe Fed Chair Jerome Powell Into Recorded Call
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Nick Timiraos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Alex Brandon/Associated PressPranksters posing as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky duped Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell into speaking with them. Clips of the video conversation were posted online Thursday by a pair of Russian comedians who have done the same thing to other world leaders. A spokeswoman for the central bank confirmed that Mr. Powell spoke with someone in January who misrepresented himself as the Ukrainian president.

☆ Powell duped by Russian pranksters who claimed to be Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke by phone with two Russian pranksters earlier this year who falsely claimed to be President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. "Chair Powell participated in a conversation in January with someone who misrepresented himself as the Ukrainian president," a Fed spokesperson told CNBC on Thursday. The video appears to have been edited, the Fed spokesperson said, adding that they could not confirm the video's accuracy. Powell does not appear to have said anything controversial during his call with the Zelenskyy impersonators, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the prank. Yet the sheer fact that two well known allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin were able to evade detection and speak to Powell directly raises serious questions about security procedures at the central bank's Washington headquarters.

☆ Russian Pranksters Trick the Fed Chair, Based on Internet Videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Pranksters posing as Ukraine’s president tricked Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, into a conversation in January about the U.S. and global economy, based on video clips covered on Russian state television and posted online. The footage shows Mr. Powell answering an interviewer’s questions on a video call, apparently thinking that he is talking to Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s leader. The ruse appears to have been carried out by Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, pranksters who are supporters of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The clips — now circulating on the internet — were earlier reported on by Bloomberg News. They show Mr. Powell answering questions about central banking and inflation.

☆ Fed Chair Jerome Powell got tricked by 2 Russian prank callers posing as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fed Chair Powell held a call with Russian pranksters pretending to be Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. "No sensitive or confidential information was discussed," a Fed spokesperson told Insider. Footage circulating on Russian State Television showed Powell answering an interviewer's questions, with the central bank head seemingly thinking he was speaking to Ukraine's leader. In a statement sent to Insider, a Fed spokesperson confirmed that Powell participated in a call with someone "who misrepresented himself" as the Ukrainian president in January. The phone call, which appears to have been carried out by Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, covered a range of topics like Powell's inflation outlook and Russia's central bank, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

☆ The son of a Putin aide says he fought in Ukraine, but reports claim that at the same time his Tesla was racking up fines in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says his son fought in Ukraine. But reports say at the same time his luxury car was racking up parking fines in Moscow. Peskov's son, Nikolai Choles, told Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda in an interview published on Saturday that he had fought in the Wagner Group. Insider was unable to verify the claim that Choles served with Wagner or was driving his Tesla in Moscow. On moving to Moscow he enjoyed a luxury lifestyle, despite only holding temporary jobs, and racked up hundreds of parking fines, the report claimed.

☆ 2 more diners arrested over 'sushi terrorism' video showing restaurant utensils used in communal bowls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two more people have been arrested for property damage over a "sushi terrorism" video in Japan. Videos of customers licking bottles or eating directly from communal dishes went viral earlier this year. Police said the men told them they posted the video to social media because they thought it was funny, the AP reported. The trend gained popularity earlier this year as videos were posted under the hashtag "#寿司テロ," or "sushi terror." Pranksters licked soy sauce bottles and added wasabi to items on the conveyor belt at popular restaurants in Japan — then posted videos or pictures.

☆ A Texas House committee hearing was derailed after prank names like 'Connie Lingus' and 'Anita Dickenmee' were called for public comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Texas House committee meeting on March 29 took an unexpected and hilarious turn. The meeting went awry when people submitted prank names like "Anita Dickenmee" and "Holden Middick." What about Anita Dickenmee? This is the second time in the last month that state legislators have been pranked by people at House committee meetings. At a meeting in Florida last week, Florida Republican Will Robinson Jr. read out names like "Anita Dick" and "Holden Hiscock."

☆ Japanese police arrest diners accused of 'sushi terrorism,' after videos of pranksters licking soy sauce bottles and rubbing saliva on conveyor-belt food goes viral
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese police arrested three diners accused of "sushi terrorism." Unhygienic pranks in Japan's conveyor belt sushi restaurants have become a viral sensation. In recent weeks, videos have spread on social media of diners in Japan's famed Kaiten-sushi restaurants performing unhygenic stunts. Japanese Police said they arrested a 21-year-old, a 19-year-old, and a 15-year-old after they allegedly performed "sushi terrorism" stunts at a restaurant in Nagoya, central Japan, on February 3. Kura Sushi is installing AI cameras in its restaurants to monitor for sushi terrorism, while Sushiro, another popular chain, is shuttering its conveyor belts system for unordered food.

☆ 100 gecs Shook the Underground. Can the Duo Explode … With Rock Music?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Joe Coscarelli | More About Joe Coscarelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES — Laura Les and Dylan Brady, the experimental pop duo known as 100 gecs, wanted to set off fireworks indoors. In its anarchic “Jackass” ethos, few things could be so gecs-y. But at the end of last year, with an upcoming major-label album to market — and all the corporate guardrails that entails — 100 gecs were being forced to blow stuff up a bit more by the book. Fortunately for Les, 28, and Brady, 29, the other thing that comes with a fat recording contract — besides a boatload of commercial expectations, various handlers and more rules — is resources. The fireworks, after all, were not just for mayhem but a music video — the one expected to help propel the band’s new single, “Hollywood Baby,” into a mainstream crossover success.

Persons: Laura Les, Dylan Brady, Les, Brady

☆ 'Sushi terrorism' is spreading as pranksters lick food, utensils in Japan's conveyor belt restaurants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Conveyor belt sushi restaurants have been an affordable option across Japan for decades. The prank videos, often perpetrated by younger culprits, show customers at any one of Japan's many conveyor belt sushi restaurants taking things off the belt like utensils, soy sauce bottles, or food. He later licks a finger then at least one plate of sushi on the conveyor belt. The videos have prompted sushi restaurants to remind customers that they frequently clean and disinfect utensils, and will provide clean utensils upon request. "Kaiten-zushi," or conveyor belt sushi, restaurants have been a mainstay in Japan for decades as an affordable option.

☆ An employee laid off by Meta says he got a strange package from the company marked 'leaver' with two emojis inside and no note
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

One former Meta employee received a 'peculiar' gift in the mail just in time for the holidays. Matt Motyl says he was one of the 11,000 staff members laid off by Meta in November. Researcher Matt Motyl was laid off from Meta in November despite exceeding expectations in performance reviews, he said. But their true purpose is unclear since the only context for the package was the word "leaver" written on the box, Motyl said. In the thread of tweets related to the box, which Motyl called "peculiar," he said he'd heard from other former Meta employees about strange things delivered to them from the company.

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