Must Reads : The Two-Way Some stories are just too weird, too funny or too sad to ignore. They may not be "serious news," but are so fascinating you must read them. NPR correspondents are on the watch for such tales. We pass along the best, from NPR and other news outlets.

The Two-Way

Must Reads

Thursday January 31, 2013

America

L.A. Archbishop Relieves Retired Cardinal Mahony Of Duties, Releases Abuse Files

January 31, 2013 • Archbishop Jose Gomez said Mahony will no longer have any administrative or public duties, and that Thomas Curry, a former aide to Mahony, had stepped down from his post as regional bishop of Santa Barbara. The files amount to thousands of pages related to the abuse of children by priests.

Portugal's Monster: The Mechanics Of A Massive Wave

American surfer Garrett "GMAC" McNamara rides what could be, if confirmed, the biggest wave conquered in history as a crowd watches Monday in Nazare, Portugal. To Mane/Barcroft Media /Landov hide caption

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To Mane/Barcroft Media /Landov

Must Reads

Portugal's Monster: The Mechanics Of A Massive Wave

January 31, 2013 • How does a tiny spot on the Portuguese coast generate some of the world's most gnarly waves? Surf experts say there are a few factors that combined Monday to create what might have been the biggest wave ever ridden.

Wednesday January 30, 2013

Report: Your Salary Data May Be For Sale

Fill out an application for a loan, and your wage history may go places you didn't expect. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Must Reads

Report: Your Salary Data May Be For Sale

January 30, 2013 • NBC News reports that the Equifax credit reporting agency has collected wage records on about one-third of American adults. Some has then been sold to "debt collectors, financial service companies and other entities." It's all legal, but is viewed by some as a huge breach of privacy.

Tuesday January 29, 2013

VIDEO: Could It Be? American Claims To Have Surfed 100-Foot Wave

Garrett McNamara surfs a huge wave in Nararé, Portugal. Francisco Salvador/via Twitter hide caption

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Francisco Salvador/via Twitter

Must Reads

VIDEO: Could It Be? American Claims To Have Surfed 100-Foot Wave

January 29, 2013 • The videos and pictures are spectacular, but measuring waves is tough, so whether Garrett McNamara broke his own world record is very much in dispute.

Must Reads

Stefan Kudelski, Who Made Sound Recording Portable, Dies

January 29, 2013 • Stefan Kudelski, inventor of the first portable professional sound recorder, has died. His Nagra tape recorder, created in 1951, revolutionized film by giving filmmakers the freedom to record scenes at virtually any location.

Stefan Kudelski, Who Made Sound Recording Portable, Dies

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Those 'Hygienic' Toilet Seats At O'Hare May Not Be So Clean

A concourse at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

Must Reads

Those 'Hygienic' Toilet Seats At O'Hare May Not Be So Clean

January 29, 2013 • The Chicago Sun-Times went inside the stalls and found that plastic wrappers designed to automatically cover toilet seats were not keeping things spick-and-span. Don't sit down before you hear this news.

Monday January 28, 2013

VIDEO: Look Out! Car Suddenly Emerges From Foam On Highway

On Australia's "sunshine coast" over the weekend, storms whipped up sea foam. It was so thick it covered this car. Thankfully, as it emerged the people who had been watching were able to get out of the way. YouTube.com hide caption

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YouTube.com

Must Reads

VIDEO: Look Out! Car Suddenly Emerges From Foam On Highway

January 28, 2013 • Weekend storms in Australia whipped up several feet of sea foam. There was a close call when one car popped out of the froth and nearly hit people on the road. It's all on video.

Friday January 25, 2013

Don McLean Fined For Speeding; No Chevy (Or Levee) Involved

Don McLean back in the day (1975). American Pie came out in 1971. Central Press/Getty Images hide caption

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Central Press/Getty Images

Must Reads

Don McLean Fined For Speeding; No Chevy (Or Levee) Involved

January 25, 2013 • If we have to tell you why you should wonder if he was driving a Chevy to the levee, then that must mean you're not "of a certain age." Find your mom or dad's old copy of American Pie and check it out. If there's a turntable around, that is.

Whoa Canada! New Currency Has 'Wrong' Maple Leaf?

That's not the right leaf, botanists say. Bank of Canada hide caption

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Bank of Canada

Must Reads

Whoa Canada! New Currency Has 'Wrong' Maple Leaf?

January 25, 2013 • Botanists say the image on the new $20 bills is the leaf of a Norway maple, not the familiar sugar maple that graces Canada's flag. The Bank of Canada defends the image, saying it's a "stylized blend" of leaves from various maples.

Really Cool Video: 'Shroud Of Cold Air Descends On The U.S.'

An image from the animated look at how cold air has spread over the nation. NOAAVisualizations hide caption

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NOAAVisualizations

Must Reads

Really Cool Video: 'Shroud Of Cold Air Descends On The U.S.'

January 25, 2013 • You may find it mesmerizing as cold air covers much of the nation in a new video visualization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Thursday January 24, 2013

Some guy who appears on Comedy Central. Justin Lane/EPA /Landov hide caption

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Justin Lane/EPA /Landov

Must Reads

Mr. Colbert, Take Down That Box!

January 24, 2013 • It was nice of Stephen to show our post about Beyonce on his show Wednesday night. But where was The Two-Way logo? And what about your faithful blogger's name? It was behind a graphic! Who's not recognizing us now?

Yikes! 15,000 Crocodiles Escape Farm In South Africa, Area Evacuated

His cousins are on the loose. (2008 file photo taken at the Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane, South Africa.) Warren Little/Getty Images hide caption

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Warren Little/Getty Images

Must Reads

Yikes! 15,000 Crocodiles Escape Farm In South Africa, Area Evacuated

January 24, 2013 • As flood waters rose, a crocodile farmer was forced to open his gates. The crocodiles grabbed the chance to make a break. More than half remain at large. Hunters are having the most success capturing them at night, when their eyes sign red.

Wednesday January 23, 2013

A Tennis Tale: Once Famous, 'Gorgeous Gussie' Dies In Obscurity

Gertrude Moran, "Gorgeous Gussie," playing at Wimbledon in 1949. Her attire, which included a bit of lace, shocked some. George W. Hales/Getty Images hide caption

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George W. Hales/Getty Images

Must Reads

A Tennis Tale: Once Famous, 'Gorgeous Gussie' Dies In Obscurity

January 23, 2013 • When Gertrude "Gorgeous Gussie" Moran showed a bit of lace at Wimbledon in 1949, the tennis world was shocked and she became a huge star. She died last week at the age of 89. The contrast between what the tennis world though was risque in her day and what happens today is remarkable.

Beyonce May Have Been Live And Pre-recorded

Pat Benic/DPA /LANDOV

Must Reads

Beyonce May Have Been Live And Pre-recorded

January 23, 2013 • Listen closely and you can hear two Beyonces, an audio engineer says. One who seemed to be singing live and another on a pre-recorded track.

Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days

A truckload of brunost cheese, like the kind seen here, recently caught fire in a Norwegian tunnel. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

International

Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days

January 23, 2013 • A specialty Norwegian cheese, brunost, proved so flammable that it burned for several days, badly damaging a Norwegian road tunnel.

Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days

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