The Mirror’s US editor, Christopher Bucktin, reports on the best of the most bizarre it-could-only-happen-in-the-USA stories in his weekly The Buck Stops Here column. This week, a confused Trump mistakes toymaker Mattel for a country…
Dozy Donald Trump took the world on a curious detour when he mistook Mattel – the American toy company behind Barbie and Hot Wheels – for a sovereign nation.
The confusion came after the toymaker hinted it might hike prices in response to his tariff on Chinese imports, a move that would hit the industry hard.
When asked about the company’s concerns, Trump dismissed them as mere posturing – and possibly international defiance from the Republic of Barbie.
“Mattel, I don’t know. I’m not so sure,” Trump said. “They’re the only country I’ve heard that said, ‘We’re going to go counter. We’re going to try going someplace else.’ That’s okay.”
While Trump seemed unfazed, others wondered if he believed Malibu Dreamhouse now has a seat at the UN.
There’s been no official comment from President Barbie or her cabinet, though sources close to Ken say he’s considering sanctions.
Baby steps
Texas lawmakers have given the green light to a bill that lets pregnant drivers cruise in the high occupancy vehicle lane – because apparently, a fetus now counts as a travel buddy.
The bill, which just passed the House, is part of the state’s growing effort to treat unborn babies like full-fledged Texans, at least when it comes to traffic privileges.
Roo want some?
Officials in South Carolina are investigating the bizarre and tragic death of a man who reportedly died after picking a fight with a kangaroo at a children’s petting zoo.
Eric Slate, 52, suffered fatal blunt force injuries after entering the enclosure at 5 Star Farms, where he was known to “roughhouse” with a kangaroo named Jack, according to local officials.
The jumping puncher has not been euthanised, and inspectors are now investigating enclosure safety.
Caught napping
The Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro, Georgia, went into full lockdown after staff discovered a murder convict was missing. Killer Julian Brooks Deloach had been taken to court from the state prison for a recent misdemeanour. But after his appearance, he was nowhere to be seen.
The full-blown manhunt only ended with the realisation that Deloach hadn’t escaped – he’d just been left behind.
And no, he didn’t try to make a break for it. He instead enjoyed a 12-hour snooze in a holding cell where he’d been left.
Fangs a lot
A Denver cat named Tofu has gone full feline gangster after breaking a tooth and getting a $5,000 gold fang. Owner Clarrisse Bosman, 22, shared a now-viral TikTok clip of the newly minted moggy.
The dental drama began when Bosman was out of town, and her fiancé called in a panic – Tofu had apparently gone too hard on a balsa wood music box and snapped a front tooth clean in half.
The result? Painful pulp exposure… and the most expensive bling on four legs.
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