In the Heights
A pair of Russian climbers have been charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct after climbing to the very top of the Empire State Building spire, some 1,454 feet (443 meters) above the ground. Reuters reported that around 12:30 p.m. on July 1st, daredevils Angela Nikolau, 33, and Vanya Beerkus (also known as Ivan Kuznetsov), 32, raised a black banner with white lettering that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” Their daring feat concluded with Beerkus appearing to propose to Nikolau and the couple embracing. NYPD closed the streets below the building, and the couple was taken into custody. The building has an observation deck on the 102nd floor, and official policy is that visitors are not allowed to go higher than that. How the pair gained access beyond that remains a mystery. An Empire State Building spokesperson called it an “unauthorized incident.” Meanwhile, Nikolau’s father, an acrobat himself, had a more relaxed take on the climb. “I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution,” he said. “Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself.” [Reuters, 7/1/26]
Criminals
• On July 2nd, Jalen Godard, 29, of Odenton, Maryland, robbed a Verizon store … and then promptly called police to report his vehicle stolen. The two robberies were called in separately but within minutes of each other. When officers arrived, they observed blood on Godard’s glasses, hands, and shirt, as well as blood on the store’s window, and put two and two together. “That’s some karma right there, dude,” one officer said in the body cam footage. Godard denied being at the store, but the store’s cameras show him robbing it. No word yet on a suspect in the vehicle theft. [Fox 5, 7/2/26]
• A South Korean bank manager stole an unspecified but large amount of money from his bank’s vault by replacing the stolen cash with play money printed with cartoon animals, Oddity Central reported on July 2nd. As manager, the man ensured he was the only one depositing bills in the vault, pocketing the real money for himself and replacing it with the cartoon copies. A bank employee
eventually reported his odd behavior
to the credit union, and the matter was handled internally. The man returned all the money and was fired from the bank, and the theft was never reported to the authorities. [Oddity Central, 7/2/26]
Spooky
A company in China is ready to take the next step in robotics: humanoid robots powered by AI. On July 2nd, Oddity Central reported that UBTECH plans to mass-produce the robots, complete with synthetic skin and humanlike facial expressions. The machines are about 5 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet tall, but weigh half as much as the average human adult. The company says it has received 10,000 orders and that each robot retails for up to $145,000, depending on its features. The humanoids will be delivered in September and are “designed to support a wide range of consumer and commercial applications, including daily companionship, emotional support, lifestyle enhancement, and social assistance, as well as reception and hospitality services, elder care, psychological support, tourism and exhibitions, research and education, and premium domestic service applications,” a UBTECH press release said. [Oddity Central, 7/2/26]
News You Can Use
Two teens in San Mateo were detained by police after their Waymo vehicle reported their unruly behavior, KLTV reported on July 8th. The robotaxis are equipped with interior cameras that allow Waymo personnel to observe passengers. A Waymo representative contacted police when they saw a live feed of the 15-year-olds drinking and firing a gun that shot Orbeez gel pellets. “We got a call from a Waymo rep saying there were two people in their vehicle, and they saw them shooting out of the vehicle,” Jeanine Luna of the San Mateo Police Department said. “And then they also described the passengers maybe being intoxicated as well.” A Waymo rep told the passengers that the car was having trouble and disabled the vehicle until police arrived. The teens cooperated with law enforcement, and no one was hurt. They await charges from the district attorney. [KLTV, 7/8/26]
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
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