Author: USA Facts News

And yet for the Clifford family, an octopus is the only pet their marine creature obsessed son wanted. After years of begging, US parents Cameron Clifford and his partner finally gave into their son Cal’s wishes to have an eight-legged friend — which had been a dream of his since he was three years old.

On 11 October, 2023 Cal’s dream of owning an octopus would finally come true when he was presented with Terrance for his ninth birthday.

Aaaand here’s Terrance! (TikTok/Doctoktopus)

Given that an octopus isn’t a commonly owned pet, there aren’t too many instruction manuals for parents looking to indulge their children’s marine fascinations.

With the Clifford family swiftly found out after a mix-up with Terrance’s gender would leave the family looking after an additional 50 baby octopuses to take care of — and it wasn’t long before their home was completely overrun.

Caring for so many octopuses was also pretty costly for the Oklahoma family ending up with a pretty hefty set of bills from spilled water and small electrical fires as well as setting up impromptu aquariums all over the home.

“Do not get a pet octopus unless you’re ready to lose sleep and your kids’ college fund simultaneously,” Cameron joked in an interview with USA Today, when asked about what it was like to own an entire octopus family, after the family TikTok account @doctoktopus went viral.

However the marine aficionados among us will be aware that tragedy was on the horizon for the Cliffords, as a female octopus laying eggs typically signals they are reaching the end of their lifespan.

Sadly, the eight-legged social media star – who had over 450,000 followers – passed away on 22 April, 2024, with the Clifford’s posting a poignant tribute online to their late pet.

“It was, understandably, a very sad day. After laying eggs, Terrance lived another astounding 135 days.

“Cal chose the name Terrance after a rebellious character in a book he had recently read. For many reasons, I always thought it was an odd name for an octopus.

“Life can be sad but still full of meaning and even though this tank now sits empty, this sleeping boy [Cal] just three feet from it, now feels his soul a little more full. So much joy from a not so tiny octopus.”

A recent glimpse at one of Terrance’s babies (TikTok/Doctoktopus)

Despite the fact Terrance had somewhat destroyed their home – which has been taken over by tanks for her babies, while being damaged by water spills and small electrical fires – they adored her being a member of their brood.

The family also went on to look after Terrance’s offspring, with around half of the brood surviving, a feat which astonished researchers.

Activity on the family’s TikTok account has since declined, with a final post from the Cliffords showing that the octopuses were now teenagers in July 2024.

Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that causes memory loss, confusion, and changes in behaviour. It’s the most common cause of dementia in older people.

While there is no cure for the disease, experts have been able to identify some of the key indicators, including a recent study which suggests that people who take significantly longer to start the dream phase of sleep – a period of sleep that is known as rapid eye movement (REM) – may be experiencing an early symptom of the disease.

Meanwhile, a 74-year-old former neurologist was able to diagnose himself with the disease after spotting a specific symptom when he was 55 – losing his sense of smell.

Alzheimer’s disease mainly impacts older people (Getty Stock Images)

He has opened up in a recent YouTube video about his diagnosis and some of the challenges he was facing at an early age, which encouraged him to seek out medical help.

He said: “So I got diagnosed eight months ago, and I think my symptoms probably started about two/two-and-a-half years before that.

“It’s funny because I don’t remember what my symptoms really were initially, all I remember was having some pretty big memory flaws, I remember I was sitting down to watch a movie once and my partner’s gone, ‘yeah, we watched that like a month ago’.

“Anyway, I watched the whole movie, and the ending was still a complete surprise. I had no memory of watching it whatsoever, and I didn’t watch many movies either at the time. So it was a bit concerning.”

He continued: “It’s funny though because I don’t know if I’ve had symptoms like that again ever since – I’m not sure if that’s even my Alzheimer’s. I have no idea. It’s just something where it was like, ‘Oh, God, that’s a bit concerning’. I just remembered having sort of more, bigger memory issues like that as being the problem.

He recalled a scary incident with his daughter (YoungerOnsetDementia/YouTube)

“At some point, though, I started having some issues with my cognition more generally, and I think that was more getting closer to the diagnosis, where I noticed that.

“It wasn’t until even probably just a few months before the diagnosis I noticed that I was having issues with just thinking, being able to think deeply. I find that I have more sort of surface level thinking, more shallow thinking.”

One of the most concerning incidents for Fraser was when he left the house to search for his daughter late at night because she wasn’t answering her phone, despite her telling him earlier in the day that she would be at the cinema.

Fraser said: “I remember once, this is early on, I remember my daughter had told me numerous times throughout the day that she’d go to the movies that night and it would be sort of quite late with a friend, and it came to night time, and I started freaking out, thinking, ‘where’s my daughter?’, I was generally freaking out.

“I was driving to the nearby town trying to see from other friends, if they were with, if she was with, if they’ve heard from her. And it got to a point where I was about to ring the police, I was that concerned.

“I’d been trying to call her, trying to phone message, trying to message her, and just not getting through to her at all. So yeah, really freaking out. And then she ends up calling me, saying, like, ‘Hey, Dad, I’ve just been in the movies. Remember, I told you?’.”

Fraser now has a system in place with his teen daughters where they text him to let him know their plans to hopefully avoid a repeat of that scary incident.

Early Onset Alzheimer’s can affect people as young as in their 30s or 40s, and while there is no cure, an early diagnosis can improve quality of life.

According to the NHS, around one in every 13 people with Alzheimer’s disease are under the age of 65.

If you’ve been affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer’s Society via 0333 150 3456 or visit their website for more information.

Launched across UK Maccies as of today (12 March), the drink is usually only available in the US, Canada, and sometimes Ireland.

And those buying the drink are doing a good deed while satisfying their sweet tooth, with 20 pence from every drink going to the official Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.

Maccies said: “McDonald’s is a founding and forever partner of the Charity, which provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children in hospital.”

We’re talking about the viral Shamrock Shake. Bright green in colour, the drink is usually released in North America and Ireland to celebrate St Patrick’s Day which this year falls on Monday (17 March).

Brits can get their hands on the Shamrock Shake right across the UK but Maccies is warning that ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’.

So while you can buy it until Tuesday, 25 March, if it sells out before then McDonald’s is hinting that supplies wont be restocked until the end of the two-week period of availability.

Peppermint flavoured, it follows on from the viral success of the Grimace Shake in 2024 which took TikTok by storm.

The Shamrock Shake is in the UK (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Those wanting to take advantage can expect to pay £2.19 for a small Shamrock Shake; £2.69 for medium; and £3.09 for large.

The Shamrock Shake itself was created back in 1967 by Hal Rosen, a businessman in Connecticut who ran a local McDonald’s.

Serving the minty shake to mark St Paddy’s Day, it officially debuted in American McDonald’s way back in 1970. And the history of the shake has forever been connected to Maccies’ charitable arm.

The Shamrock Shake (McDonald’s)

“In 1974, sales from the shake helped to build the very first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia,” McDonald’s has said of the connection.

“The mission began when the daughter of a Philadelphia Eagles player was being treated for leukemia.

“Together with local McDonald’s owner/operator Hal Rosen, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Eagles, the family raised enough funds through Shamrock Shake sales to help open the first Ronald McDonald House as a way to keep families close during difficult times.”

The Ronald McDonald House Charities benefit from sales of the Shamrock Shake (Gisela Schober/Getty Images)

Alongside the Shamrock Shake, Maccies also has got other limited edition products such as the Mars McFlurry and Mozzarella Dippers, both available until 25 March.

There’s also the Raspberry and White Chocolate Pie on the menu until 6 May.

Those buying the Shamrock Shake in the USA will see 25 cents of their purchase given to the business’ charity with a goal of $50,000 (£38,600) on the cards.

During an explosive meeting in the White House with Donald Trump and JD Vance, the Ukrainian president was accused of ‘gambling with WWIII’.

The upshot of the meeting was that Zelenskyy was reportedly asked to leave the White House early, while US aid for Ukraine was suspended, along with intelligence sharing.

While more amicable talks between the two countries in Jeddah has led to aid and intelligence sharing resuming, Zelenskyy has made a sly reference to his treatment in the White House in his latest speech.

Trump and Vance have made it clear they are not a fan of Zelenskyy’s wardrobe (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The comment stemmed from criticism of Zelenskyy’s understated wardrobe in comparison to his international counterparts during his White House meeting.

A journalist even took a jab at the Ukrainian leader, 47, about his dressed down look for the White House meeting, accusing Zelenskyy of ‘not respecting the dignity’ of the Oval Office.

Rumours even circulated suggesting that Trump was seen ‘slyly winking’ at the reporter, seemingly in a bid to encourage the journalist to rile up Zelenskyy with the put-down.

For context, Zelenskyy was wearing black trousers, boots and a black jumper which was embroidered with the Ukrainian trident – not shorts and flip flops.

He told the journalist that he will wear a ‘costume’ when the war is finished, while hilariously adding: “Maybe something like yours, maybe something better. We will see, maybe something cheaper.”

The criticism of his clothing is like water off a duck’s back for Zelenskyy…which is probably a good thing, considering he’s the man in charge of a war-torn country battling Vladimir Putin.

But people can hardly blame him for having a bit of fun with the saga surrounding his style himself, and making a joke about it when he has the chance.

The Ukrainian president couldn’t resist slipping a sarcastic comment into his speech while appearing at an awards ceremony in Kyiv on Sunday (9 March).

Sporting a similar military-style outfit as the one he did in the White House, he congratulated the winners before saying he was ‘grateful to all Ukrainian creators’.

While addressing the crowd, Zelenskyy then joked: “Apologies that I am not wearing a suit.”

Those few words managed to bring the house down, as members of the audience were seen laughing and applauding in the footage.

Zelenskyy even appeared to get something of a standing ovation, as several spectators stood up to clap the leader as he then added: “Glory to Ukraine!”

Zelenskyy’s joke seemed to go down a treat with the audience (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)

Despite a rough few weeks, it seems that Zelenskyy and Trump might have finally squashed their beef.

After their meeting in Saudi Arabia, a joint statement between the delegations said that Ukraine had accepted a US proposal for a ceasefire that would last for 30 days and could be extended, and it could be put in place if Russia accepted it as well.

The statement read: “Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine.

“Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defense of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace.”

The baffling friendship between the current US president and his billionaire ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk was on display yesterday (11 March) when the 78-year-old decided to give the electronic car company a public display of confidence and purchase a new motor in front of the White House.

No, we’re not joking. This is an event which actually happened.

Donald Trump, US president and… car salesman? (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

That’s right folks, it only took two months of Trump presidency for before a Tesla was parked outside the White House.

So why is this happening you might ask, and why is there a Tesla outside one of the most recognisable buildings in the US?

One of Musk’s most recognisable companies, electronic cars have historically been popular with people who are more liberal or left leaning as they are more environmentally friendly than your classic gas guzzler.

But since Musk has very vocally aligned himself with the Trump train his traditional customers have left more alienated – which is evident through the recent decline in Tesla sales.

It seems this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Trump and Musk, with the pair essentially staging an infomercial outside the White House to promote the motors.

Praising Musk’s company, the president told reporters that he’d been penalised by the ‘radical left’ and decided the best way to support Tesla was to very publicly buy a car himself, despite no longer being allowed to drive a car.

The widely covered exchange generated a lot of media attention on Trump, Musk and Teslas, however, skeptics couldn’t help but spot that the president was carting round a shopping list detailing the different prices and models of Teslas.

And, of course, made sure that photographers got a snapshot of the list, which reads:

“Tesla Pricing:

“Full Self Driving:

“Model X – $112,490 (silver)

“CT – $114,000 (Gray)

“Model S – $108,990 (Blue)

“Model Y – $59,990 (Red).”

Below the list was a sentence which further pushed home the aim of the Tesla buying session, which read: “Teslas can be purchased as low as $299/month of $35k. All cars have self driving, just needs to be turned on (fee).”

The note in question (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Viewers were obviously divided by the spectacle, with many taking to social media to share their shock and confusion over what had just happened.

“Jesus. This is one of those pictures you see in history books for all the wrong reasons,” one person wrote on Reddit, while a second added: “This administration is so unserious. Not that I’m surprised or it’s anything new, but every week they escalate to a new level.”

“This guy should be a World Limbo Champion, because there is no bar he can’t go lower than,” a third joked.

Since taking office earlier this year, US President Donald Trump has made sure his concerns about nuclear weapons are clear.

At the end of last month, he accused Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy of ‘gambling with WWIII’ during discussions about Russia’s invasion of the Eastern European country.

More recently, the 78-year-old claimed that nuclear war was a bigger threat to humanity than global warming, telling Fox News: “We spend a lot of money of nuclear weapons – the level of destruction is beyond anything you can imagine.

Fingers crossed this isn’t the view from your window anytime soon (Getty Stock Image)

“It’s just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.”

He added: “The greatest [threat] is sitting on shelves in various countries called ‘nuclear weapons’.”

Although climate change does remain a threat to humanity – whether Trump likes it or not – he’s not wrong on the nuclear war front, with countless doomsday simulations showing the catastrophic damage which just one missile could cause.

What does the UK’s nuclear weapons system look like?

The UK is one of nine countries which possess nuclear weapons – the others being the US, India, Russia, Pakistan, Israel, France, North Korea and China – through its Trident system.

Following the decision to decommission other weapons systems in 1998, Trident remains the only UK nuclear weapons system in active service.

One of the UK’s nuclear defence systems (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Beyond the fact that Trident consists of four operational Vanguard submarines armed with nuclear missiles, with at least one always on patrolling the seas covertly, there isn’t that much else to know.

This isn’t a surprise, given the fact that key details of our nuclear systems are kept ‘deliberately ambiguous’ in order to assure its ‘effectiveness’ as a deterrent.

However, the Ministry of Defence did previously reveal a glimpse of one of the country’s nuclear submarines in a video back in 2021, alongside an explanation of what the system is and how it works to protect the UK and its allies.

The continued existence of a nuclear weapons system in the UK has long been a divisive one, with numerous campaigners over the years calling for Trident to be decommissioned, most notably the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), which sprung up in the late 50s.

However, both the UK government and the Ministry of Defence have voiced their strong belief in keeping the weapons as a deterrent, with the latter stating: “By providing a credible and effective response option to extreme aggression, our nuclear deterrent reduces the likelihood of such an attack taking place.”

In a bombshell interview with Fox News yesterday (9 March), President Trump stated that while the Biden administration prioritised climate change as ‘the biggest existential threat’ on Earth, it’s really nuclear weapons that we should be worried about.

The former businessman highlighted that ‘the level of destruction’ that could be caused by these weapons of mass destruction is beyond anyone’s imagination.

The 47th President of the US explained: “We spend a lot of money of nuclear weapons – the level of destruction is beyond anything you can imagine. It’s just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.”

The US boasts 5,044 warheads, second to Russia’s 5,500, putting the nation in a favourable position if anything were to go haywire.

Amidst talk of a ‘World War 3’ in a heated exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House, Trump will be relying on his nation’s defense.

What is a nuclear triad?

Like many other of the world’s most powerful nations, the US has a nuclear triad.

It is a military strategy, and as the word suggests, there are three types of nuclear weapons that are included within it.

They are: land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and strategic bombers.

The main purpose of a triad is to prevent an enemy from destroying all of the country’s weapons in its first strike, allowing there to be alternatives. There is an official website detailing all the information behind America’s nuclear triad, set up by the US Department of Defense.

It is described as ‘the backbone of America’s national security’, with the website describing each section of the triad, along with short videos showcasing their capabilities in each area.

The Minuteman uses missiles with a worldwide range (US Department of Defense)

From land

The US Department of Defense say that ‘more than 10,000 people’ are ready to operate 400 combat-reasy LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which are kept in hardened silos across the country.

The Minuteman is a weapon system that uses ballistic missiles with worldwide range, while being connected to an underground launch control centre, ready to go at any time.

Launch crews, which include two officers, carry out around-the-clock alerts in the launch control centre.

From sea

Here, ballistic missile submarines – also known as ‘boomers’ – are used as undetectable platforms for attack.

Just one boomer is said to provide the sixth most powerful nuclear power in the world.

They state on their site: “Assure we can strike at any time, anywhere, even after a surprise attack. This survivability gives national leadership greater flexibility in the decision-making process.”

Ohio-Class Ballistic Missile Submarines are used to make what is known as ‘the most survivable leg of the triad, with their stealth making them near impossible to track, though the Ohio-class SSBNs will be replaced by the Columbia-class SSBN program in the next decade.

There are currently 14 Ohio0class SSMNs deployed, which can carry 20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles with ‘independently targeted warheads’.

The Ohio-Class SSBNS carry 20 ballistic missiles each, which are ready to go (US Department of Defense)

From air

Described as ‘the most flexible leg of the triad’ on the website, the US Department of Defense state that the US have ’46 nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress and 20 B-2A Spirit aircraft’ which can provide ‘massive firepower in a short time anywhere on the globe’.

They claim that they can get through ‘the most advanced defenses’ and describe the B-52 as a long-range, heavy bomber than can carry out a number of misisons.

These can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional weapons that can be targeted at any point, worldwide.

The B-2 Spirit is known as a stealth bomber, which can deliver both ‘conventional and nuclear weapons’. However, the B-21 Raider – the next generation of stealthy bombers – is starting to replace them.

Five people were rushed to hospital after a single-engine plane crashed in the car park of a retirement community on Sunday (9 March) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

No details have been released regarding their condition.

Last month, a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to Toronto flipped as it landed and burst into flames, although miraculously nobody was killed. Plane passenger Peter Carlson explained what it was like to be on board the flight and then make his way out of the scene of the crash.

Meanwhile, sadly, there were no survivors when an American Airlines flight and a US Army helicopter collided in mid-air over Washington DC at the end of January.

When quizzed about the most recent incident and the role of Chris Rocheleau as head of the Federal Aviation Administration, by Fox News President Trump provided an interesting reply.

He said: “That has nothing to do with the department. That was a small plane, it would have happened if you had a big department or a small department as you understand. They have spates like this.

A Delta Air Lines plane crashed last month (Katherine KY Cheng/Getty Images)

“They have times when things happen a little bit more often than normal and then it goes back and then you go many years without having a problem.”

Rocheleau was appointed by Trump as the new head of the FAA back in January, taking over from Mike Whittaker who resigned a day before Trump arrived in office.

The president then went on to praise the role of the pilot who narrowly avoided a collision with a private plane on the runway at Chicago Midway Airport late last month, taking off again immediately after landing to avoid the jet which suddenly appeared in its path.

There were no survivors when an AA plane crashed into a helicopter mid-air in January (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He added: “I think the Southwest pilot did a fantastic job last week when he lifted that plane off the air because if he’d put the brakes on that wouldn’t have been good. I think the license for the pilot that got in his way should maybe be revoked.

“The way he immediately stepped on the gas and lifted it up as opposed to thinking for about three seconds, it would have been too late.

“The pilot or pilots did a great job.”

On 27 June, 2015 a dust fire ignited at the Formosa Fun Coast water park during a ‘colour powder party’, after staff had launched coloured corn starch powder at a crowd of people who were attending the party.

Clouds of corn starch powder ignited in a fireball, killing 15 and injuring hundreds (AFP via Getty Images)

Air blowers and compressed gas canisters were used to keep the cloud of coloured powder above the heads of the revellers, but at around 8:30pm, a sudden explosion of flame ignited some of the powder and a large fireball engulfed the stage.

The flames spread among the powder, including along the ground where people were standing, and hundreds of people suffered burns as a result of the unexpected combustion.

The fireball did not last long and was soon extinguished, but 15 people ended up dying from the disaster.

When something like corn starch is packed together in one place and there’s a lot of heat, it can catch fire, and the water park event had brought three tonnes of the stuff to spray onto concert-goers from the stage.

Investigations into the disaster tried to determine exactly how the fire started and ignited the clouds of powder, with firefighters suggesting that hot stage lights may have lit the initial spark.

The water park was closed down in the aftermath of the disaster, and event organiser, Lu Chung-chi, was charged with negligence and found guilty. In 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

The park has been closed down since then and is now an abandoned site, though when an explorer called Josh showed up to try and poke around the site, he found that there was some security still in place to stop people from picking around the remains.

The YouTuber found that, in the years since the water park closed, nature had started to take back the site and he said that striding through the abandoned location was an ‘eerie’ experience.

The water park closed down after the firey explosion, but it’s still standing (AFP via Getty Images)

He also discovered a pile of old dining tables all stacked in one spot, which he described as a ‘table graveyard’ that needed to be clambered over.

Everywhere he looked there was peeling paint and attractions overgrown with nature as the water slides showed clear signs of decay in the years they had sat idle.

Despite the water park being abandoned, the YouTuber did get on some of the slides and walk down the giant pipes, though there were some rides he didn’t want to test his luck on.

It’s certainly not the only theme park which has been abandoned to the ravages of time and nature, there are a number of decaying sites which closed their doors one day never to reopen.

The rides and attractions are still there but the place is deserted and everything is infected with that sense of emptiness that only an abandoned location that once welcomed large amounts of people can have.