RFK Jr. says he dumped dead bear in Central Park
The independent presidential candidate told Roseanne Barr he was behind an incident that puzzled New Yorkers in 2014
What happened
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Sunday that he put the body of a bear cub in New York City's Central Park in 2014, staging the dead cub under an old bicycle because he "thought it would be amusing for whoever found it or something."
Who said what
Kennedy told comedian Roseanne Barr in a video on social media that after a car ahead of him in the Hudson Valley hit the cub, "I pulled over and I picked up the bear and put him in the back of my van because I was gonna skin the bear" and "put the meat in my refrigerator." But after a falconry expedition and subsequent dinner at Brooklyn's Peter Luger Steakhouse, he had to go to the airport and "didn't want to leave the bear in my car because that would have been bad."
The discovery of the dead cub sparked a "mystery that captivated the city for a few days," The Associated Press said. Kennedy said he was initially "worried because my prints were all over that bike."
What next?
Kennedy said he was confessing to the stunt now because The New Yorker was going to reveal it in a "bad story." This is the "latest strange story to emerge about Kennedy, who has seen his standing in the polls falter" in recent weeks, Politico said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Cop benched after NFL star handcuffed in traffic stop
Speed Read A Miami-Dade police officer detained Dolphins star Tyreek Hill before the game
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Unchecked wildfire sears Southern California
Speed Read Firefighting crews continue to battle wildfires that have scorched thousands of acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties amid heat wave
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Maduro rival flees Venezuela for exile in Spain
Speed Read Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González fled as part of a negotiated deal with Nicolás Maduro’s government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Maduro rival flees Venezuela for exile in Spain
Speed Read Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González fled as part of a negotiated deal with Nicolás Maduro’s government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Keir Starmer defends winter fuel cut
Speed Read PM says government must 'fix the foundations' despite criticism
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
When families cross the aisle against presidential candidates
In The Spotlight Tim Walz's cousins, Donald Trump's niece and nephew, RFK Jr.'s siblings: When it comes to running for office, blood is not necessarily thicker than water
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Will Kamala Harris give YIMBYs a voice in the White House?
Today's Big Question And can federal officials do anything about local housing rules?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
DOJ charges 2 Russians for funding US far-right media
Speed Read Russia is running disinformation campaigns to influence US politics ahead of the 2024 election, officials say
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Battleground states to watch in the 2024 election
In Depth These seven states could end up deciding who wins the White House this year
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Aide to NY governors charged as Chinese agent
Speed Read Linda Sun, the former aide to Kathy Hochul, has been accused of spying for the Chinese government
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Russian strike kills at least 51 in Ukraine
Speed Read Two Russian missiles struck a military academy and hospital in the Ukrainian city of Poltava
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published