Sept. 15, 2026

Cezanne's "Still Life with Cherries" recovered from art thieves with stolen tractor!

Show Notes
Transcript

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: Lu and his wife, partially paralyzed due to diabetes, began driving China’s coastal provinces in 2014 and are still traveling more than a decade later in a camper Lu outfitted with living essentials while serving as her full-time caregiver. In Italy, police recovered stolen paintings by Renoir ("Fish"), Cezanne ("Still Life with Cherries"), and Matisse ("Odalisque on the Terrace"), valued at more than $10 million, with nine suspects in custody after thieves used a stolen tractor to breach a gate and abandoned another Renoir. In Switzerland, gardener Jorg set a Guinness record with a 20.6-inch chili. In Colorado, a bear dubbed Smokey stole equipment from a fire station. In Bavaria, Ferdinand won the senior title at the 65th German Finger Wrestling Championship.

00:11 Road Trip Love Story
00:58 Stolen Masterpieces Found
01:41 Record Long Chili Pepper
02:21 Bear Visits Firehouse
02:51 German Finger Wrestling
03:30 Wrap Up and Subscribe

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Hi there, I'm Johnny Mac with five good news stories.

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I love this story about Lou and his wife. They

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had dreamed of exploring China together since they were newlyweds. However,

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over the years, diabetes left the wife partially paralyzed as

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retirement approached. and they were thinking they wouldn't be able

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to travel. Well, in 2014, they said, let's do it anyway,

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and they set off by car, traveling the coastal provinces

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of China. More than a decade later, they're still exploring.

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Liu replaced the car with a camper fitted with a kitchen,

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two beds, and a dining table. He keeps medical supplies

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aboard and serves as his wife's full-time caregiver, helping her

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with medication, rehab exercises, and daily needs. Their daughter originally worried,

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you know, how's this going to work? Liu said... The

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journeys have lifted his wife's spirits, giving them new experiences

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to share despite all the challenges. That is fantastic, and

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that is true love. Meanwhile in Italy, the police have

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recovered stolen paintings of Renoir, a CÃ©zanne, and a Matisse.

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These are worth millions. Three paintings, Renoir's Fish, CÃ©zanne' s Still

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Life with Cherries, and Matisse's Odalisque on the Terrace. Together,

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these works are valued at more than $ 10 million. They

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were stolen in March from a private museum. Intruders used

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a stolen tractor to break through the property's gate after

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triggering an alarm. The thieves escaped across the garden, leaving

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the tractor behind. They also left behind a fourth painting,

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another Renoir. Nine suspects are in custody. Wow, nine. Still

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Life with Cherries last sold at auction for $ 7 million.

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Painted in the 1880s, it belongs to a body of

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work in which the artist repeatedly explored fruit through carefully

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arranged still lives. In Switzerland, a gardener has grown a

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record-breaking chili more than 20 inches long. 20.6 to be exact.

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It is a Guinness World Record. Jorg first claimed the

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longest chili pepper record in 2017. That one was only 17.7 inches.

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Then the next year, he raised one to 19.9. How

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does he do this? He says it involves careful preparation

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and steady attention. He starts seeds indoors in March under

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grow lights, keeps them warm before moving the plants in

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the garden once the risk of frost has passed. He

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prepares the soil with mature compost, waters regularly, and uses

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a balanced fertilizer. Keeps the feeding in check. Too much

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feeding encourages leaves instead of chilies. Okay. In Colorado, a

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fire station got an unexpected visitor who stole some equipment.

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Who was it? It was a bear. They have nicknamed

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the bear Smokey. I thought Smokey was a firefighter's friend.

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Maybe that's how Smokey the Bear fights fires. He steals

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from firemen. Maybe. I don't know. I don't know the

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origins there. The fire department shared the footage on social media,

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joking that Smokey the Bear had stopped by and decided

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to take over. It is unclear if the bear returned

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the equipment. And in Bavaria, 150 competitors gathered for a championship.

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It was the 65th German Finger Wrestling Championship. Here's how

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it works. Opponents sit across the table and hook their

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middle fingers through a leather loop. Each then tries to

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pull the other toward the side of the table. Some

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matches end in seconds, others stretch for a minute as

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the competitors struggle to gain the upper finger. Ferdinand took

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the senior title, but he made it clear that winning

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was not painless. He told Euronews that the sensation was excruciating.

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This doesn't sound like fun at all. The sport remains

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popular across Bavaria, where a table, leather loop, and a

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sturdy finger... can turn a Sunday into a serious test

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of strength. And those are your five good news stories

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for today. If you would like this program without commercial interruption,

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