Caloroga Shark Media
Sept. 15, 2026

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

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

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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5 Good News Stories is a daily podcast with five positive, uplifting news stories to brighten your day. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network

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WEBVTT

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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 Cézanne, and a Matisse.

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These are worth millions. Three paintings, Renoir's Fish, Cézanne' 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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