News of the Weird: 'Babe' star stages a sticky protest

Eighty-two-year-old actor James Cromwell, known most recently for his role on "Succession," glued his palm to a New York City Starbucks store counter to protest the extra charge the company assesses for plant-based milk in their drinks. He later used a knife to scrape his hand off the counter. The Associated Press reported that Cromwell, who starred in "Babe" and its sequel, is a longtime animal rights activist. For its part, Starbucks seemed nonplussed by the protest, which was organized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, characterizing the nondairy milk customizations as similar to any other, "such as an additional espresso shot or syrup."

More than 800 New Yorkers aged 75 and older are going to get a new friend, the Verge reported. The New York State Office for the Aging is distributing robot companions named ElliQ, built by Israeli company Intuition Robotics, to help with social isolation — for example, engaging in small talk. "It focuses on what matters to individuals: memories, life validation, interactions with friends and families," said the agency's director, Greg Olsen. Intuition Robotics said ElliQ can project empathy and form bonds with users, even telling jokes for users who tend to laugh a lot.

In a seasonally appropriate attempt at beating traffic by using the HOV lane, a driver in Arizona shared a ride with the quintessential bah humbug. On Dec. 13, police spotted him cruising along with an inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat, CNN reported. "While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal," the Arizona Department of Public Safety noted on Twitter.

Elito Circa, 52, a Philippine artist, creates his paintings with an unusual medium: his blood. Circa told Reuters that using his blood started when he was young and had little access to painting supplies. Now he sources his "paint" every three months when he goes to a clinic to have 500 milliliters extracted, which he stores in a cooler in his studio. Of his artwork, Circa said, "My DNA is part of it."

A photographer in Western Cape, South Africa, set off alarm bells after he posted some shots on Facebook that eerily resembled scenes from "The War of the Worlds," LAD Bible reported. Jan Vorster's shots from Dec. 2 showed creepy creatures emerging from the surf, which provoked 22,000 comments. But Vorster, 62, said the spidery "creatures" are just dead aloe vera plants. "I thought I could use this as a metaphor for how people see these plants as aliens, but we are actually the two-legged aliens messing up their world," he said.

The name Karen has become much less popular for newborns in the last few years, after it became synonymous with an entitled, demanding, complaining woman. But one British TV and radio personality doesn't want to see the moniker disappear completely. Matt Edmondson has vowed to pay 100 people to legally change their name to Karen, with the hope that they'll keep it relevant. What's the catch? He's launching a board game called — you guessed it — Karen.