Local & Community
You Cannot Make This Up: Wild Dogs, a Friendly Burglar and an AI Kill Switch
Sometimes the headlines are so unusual they sound like they were made up. This week’s “You Cannot Make This Up” takes a look at some of the stories getting attention around the world.
First up: African wild dogs are apparently willing to go the distance for love.
Researchers documented three male African wild dogs in Zambia traveling more than 4,000 kilometers — about 2,500 miles — over roughly nine months as they searched for new territory and potential mates. Researchers say it is the longest recorded movement by an African mammal and the longest recorded dispersal journey by an African wild dog.
The journey highlights how far the endangered animals can travel between populations and ecosystems in Southern Africa.
Then there’s Nash, a golden retriever in San Diego who had a very unusual reaction when a stranger broke into his home.
The homeowners watched through security cameras as an intruder entered their house while they were out of town. Instead of acting aggressively, Nash repeatedly approached the man carrying toys and appeared to be trying to get him to play.
The intruder remained inside the home for an extended period, eating snacks and resting while police searched the property. Officers eventually arrested him. The homeowners said they were primarily concerned about making sure Nash was safe.
And then there are the headlines that are considerably more serious.
President Donald Trump said Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House, accusing the outlets of what he called “fake news” and saying other media organizations could follow. The scope of the restrictions and how they would be implemented remained unclear Friday, with the move expected to face legal challenges.
The First Amendment protects freedom of the press, and previous disputes over White House media access have resulted in litigation. A federal judge ruled in 2025 that the White House could not exclude the Associated Press from presidential spaces based on the outlet's editorial choices, although subsequent appeals litigation allowed some temporary restrictions in limited settings.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is getting an old-school safety feature.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Friday directing experts to develop recommendations for strengthening the state's AI safety and security laws within two months. The proposals include independent verification of AI systems and exploring an emergency “kill switch” for frontier AI models.
The order also calls for independent organizations to verify AI safety frameworks, transparency reports and risk assessments, as well as continued testing of any emergency shutdown capability.
From animals traveling thousands of miles for potential mates to a golden retriever trying to make friends with a burglar, this week certainly delivered some headlines that sound too strange to be true.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 18, 2026
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