Something Offbeat

This week we’re going up, past chairlifts, past aurora borealis and into space to get the latest on a long-running search for extraterrestrial life. On the way there, we’ll also check in on the rare solar storm that impacted Earth this week, people getting stuck on those chairlifts and a conspiracy theory about gravity. Featuring reports from KCBS Radio in the Bay Area, the Dave Glover Show out of KMOX in St. Louis and the Adam & Jordana Show out of WCCO News Talk in the Twin Cities.

This week, we’re diving into not one but two weird animal stories, as well as chemtrails, a scientist dubbed doctor Frankenstein, a man wreaking havoc with a sword and how to become a real-life storm-chaser. Featuring segments from the Dave Glover Show out of KMOX in St. Louis, WWJ Newsradio in Detroit, the Scoot Show and the Tommy Tucker shows out of WWL in New Orleans, the Dana & Parks Show out of KMBZ in Kansas City and KNX News out of Los Angeles.

This week, we’ve got some expert insight on whether we can make it back to moon by 2028, a marriage proposal attempt that turned into something straight out of a sitcom, and some stories about sandwiches. With dispatches from the Dana & Parks show out of KMBZ in Kansas City, Tommy Tucker out of WWL in New Orleans, WWJ Newsradio in Detroit, The Dave Glover Show out of KMOX in St. Louis and the Adam & Jordana Show out of WCCO in the Twin Cities.

These are the weirdest animal stories we covered in 2025.

There were the weirdest viral stories we covered in 2025.

Here's the weirdest space stories we covered in 2025.

We're rounding up the weirdest stories of 2025. In this episode, the top of the top -- Colossal Biosciences' work to bring back extinct animals, the rapture that never came and a possible break in the D.B. Cooper case.

Something Offbeat host Mike Rogers interviews a man from Kentucky about becoming the world's stone skimming champion and about a scandal at the competition in Scotland.

This week, we’ve got a conversation about cemeteries where you wouldn’t expect them from KMBZ's Dan & Parks in Kansas City, opinions about the little-known delicacy that is soft shell shrimp from Scoot at WWL in New Orleans, and a surprise sighting of a mythical creature from The Dave Glover Show out of KMOX in St. Louis. But first, we’re headed to WCCO News Talk Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they’ve got potty problems.

Mike Rogers interviews a grad student from Scotland who has been trying a different sport every week.

Host Mike Rogers interviews Annalisa Nash Fernandez to discuss how the future of fast food might play out and what companies should keep their eye on to keep appealing to customers.

This week, we cover the story of a mom and seven of her children who went on a 2,300 paddle adventure on the Mississippi River; a reason why you might want to get six, maybe seven, Frosties, and fashion from queer sheep wool.

This week, we’re starting with an ancient discovery, then looking forward at a few things. Those things are: the possibility of bars in Kansas City opening from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m., the future of endangered animals and how to avoid being a jerk during upcoming holiday celebrations.

"Something Offbeat" host Mike Rogers interviews dives into the origins of this massive collection of Crocs.

This week, we’re tackling three questions. The first question: How much can humans actually be genetically engineered? The second question: Are people kinder or meaner than they were 20 years ago? And the third… do you want to jam with a 1,000-person rock band? You might have a chance to in January. Featuring audio from KCBS' Bay Area All Local, WCCO's Chad Hartman and WWL's Scoot.

We’re starting off today’s show up in space, then making our way back down to Earth with moon water, where we’ll have to deal with rat infested cities and robots. A full schedule! Special thanks to WWJ Newsradio in Detroit, The Dave Glover Show out of KMOX in St. Louis, the Dana & Parks Show out of KMBZ in Kansas City and A New Morning out of WBEN in Buffalo.

Happy Halloween Offbesties, and welcome to a spooky edition of Something Offbeat’s weird news roundups. Today, we’re focused on, you guessed it, Halloween headlines, from adult-o-ween to the changing face of Satanic Panic to pumpkin mishaps and freaky magicians.

This week, our stories have a bit of a theme. They’re all about feeling a rush – from that stomach-dropping sensation you get while riding a roller coaster to the joy of perfectly shucking an oyster to… some more questionable ways to live on the edge. With audio from Scoot and Tommy Tucker from WWL in New Orleans, the Dana & Parks Show from KMBZ in Kansas City and the Dave Glover Show from KMOX in St. Louis.

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into the spooky side of artificial intelligence as we gear up for Halloween. We’ll hear about the news that people will soon be able to use ChatGPT to order from Walmart from KCBS Radio’s Bloomberg Tech and Business report out of the Bay Area and about the dangers of getting in too deep with an AI companion from WBBM Newsradio’s the Noon Business Hour in Chicago. We’ll also check out a discussion about legislation that would make it illegal to marry AI from the Dave Glover show out of KMOX in St. Louis and about an AI-themed haunted house from WWJ in Detroit. Finally, we’ll check in with the Dana and Parks Show from KMBZ in Kansas City on the results of a scary, smelly survey that might reveal why some of us are turning to the embrace of AI.

"Something Offbeat" host Mike Rogers interviews a woman who has kept her fridge running for decades on this "Other Side of the News" dispatch.