Alarm is spreading across Vermont’s political establishment after a 14-year-old secured a spot on the gubernatorial ballot—raising fears that basic competence may soon become the new standard.

The prediction market Polymarket unveiled its latest viral wager this week: Will the CEO of McDonald’s get sick after eating the company’s new “Arch Burger”?

In what officials called a “major efficiency reform,” Iran’s leadership announced Tuesday that it had dramatically streamlined the process of selecting the nation’s next Supreme Leader by appointing one who is already dead.

In a calm and reassuring press conference Wednesday, an Iranian naval general rejected Western reports that much of Iran’s navy had been destroyed, insisting the fleet is simply engaged in “extensive underwater operations.”

In what hospital officials are calling “the most polite emergency admission of the fiscal quarter,” a determined seabird reportedly walked up to the sliding doors of a coastal emergency room and waited patiently for medical assistance after being injured by a fishing hook.

In a development that briefly united conspiracy theorists and cable news producers in a single joyful moment, Barack Obama appeared to suggest that aliens are real — before calmly clarifying that he has seen absolutely no evidence of aliens whatsoever.

While northerners mark winter by shoveling snow, scraping windshields, and pretending they enjoy it, Floridians rely on a simpler, more aerodynamic signal: reptiles raining from the sky.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that legendary coach Bill Belichick will not be inducted in his first year of eligibility, citing what insiders described as an “awkward surplus of Super Bowl rings achieved under circumstances that require a very long PowerPoint.”

Americans across the nation are reporting symptoms of dizziness, disbelief, and sudden awareness after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a redesigned federal food pyramid that shockingly omits McDonald’s, soda, and “whatever was left in the drive-thru bag.”

Residents of this once-sleepy town say they didn’t eat anything differently, yet somehow gained between 8 and 22 pounds after a new donut factory began pumping out one million donuts per day—and apparently routing the calories directly into the atmosphere.

In what economists are calling “the most successful retirement plan in American history,” the final remaining U.S. pennies were sold at auction this week for a combined $16.76 million, officially becoming worth far more the moment they stopped being money.

Residents at Saturday’s Christmas parade experienced what many described as “a festive miracle” and others described as “deeply concerning wildlife management policy” when a full-grown black bear casually wandered into the procession and proceeded to outshine every float, marching band, and child dressed as a gingerbread cookie.

In a scene locals are already calling “Hangover: Woodland Edition,” a 28-pound raccoon brought chaos, confusion, and an impressive tolerance level to a Virginia ABC store late Tuesday night.

In a stunning turn for both the music industry and theology professors everywhere, “HAL-lelujah 3000,” the world’s first fully AI gospel singer, has officially topped the Christian charts—becoming the first worship leader in history that requires neither sleep nor a pastoral accountability partner.

In a ceremony that instantly became the strangest constitutional moment involving poultry, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he had “formally re-pardoned” all turkeys spared during the Biden years, arguing their original clemency may be invalid because it was issued via autopen.

In the latest sign that the nation is thriving—nutritionally, economically, and spiritually—Americans have spent $500 million in food stamps at fast-food chains this year. Economists are calling it “the most American use of taxpayer dollars since we paid farmers to hide 10 billion pounds of government cheese in underground bunkers.”

In a legal drama that could only unfold in the land where kangaroos outnumber politicians with common sense, an Australian inmate has filed an official human-rights complaint demanding unrestricted access to Vegemite — the nation’s favorite salty, fermented metaphor for resilience.

In what French officials are calling both “a tragedy and a teachable moment,” thieves made off with over $100 million in jewels from the Louvre early Monday morning—after effortlessly bypassing the museum’s security system, which reportedly used “Louvre” as its password.

In a shocking development that rattled both Capitol Hill and the NASDAQ, Rep. Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement from Congress — sparking panic among day traders who’ve long relied on her uncanny ability to “predict” market swings before they happen.