Squirrel blamed for power cut

published 21 October 2022

A power outage that hit nearly 2,000 customers in Oregon has been blamed on a squirrel, reported UPI. Portland General Electric said 1,953 customers in East Salem lost power for around 90 minutes after a squirrel caused disruption. This is not the first time a rodent has been blamed for an outage. Dominion Energy said about 10,000 customers in Virginia lost power last month when a squirrel came into contact with substation equipment. Power was restored after about an hour.

Lettuce beats Liz Truss

A 60p lettuce has beaten Liz Truss in a tabloid stunt to see which would last the longest. “Lettuce wins as Liz leafs,” said the Daily Star after Truss announced her resignation. The paper began live streaming the vegetable on 14 October as the prime minister's grasp on power began to wobble. “Will Liz Truss still be prime minister within the 10-day shelf-life of a lettuce?” the newspaper asked. The stunt was inspired by The Economist which called Truss an “iceberg lady” with the “shelf life of a lettuce”.

The first wild bison has been born in the UK for a millennia after “surprise pregnancy”, said The Guardian. When three bison were released in Kent in July as part of a rewilding project, the rangers were unaware one had a “secret passenger on board”, said the paper. The female calf was discovered when rangers did not see the mother, who had found a secluded location to give birth. Bison conceal their pregnancies to prevent predators targeting pregnant animals or their offspring.