WEIRD NEWS

Why Does Little Tommy Always Whistle When He Coughs?

So, just thumbing through the New England Journal of Medicine where we find the strange case of the boy with the whistling cough! In India, Doctor Suresh C. Sharma reports that the boy's parents had brought him to the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic after noticing something strange about his cough. For the past couple of days, their 4-year-old son made a squeaky, whistling-like sound whenever he coughed. He had had no history or symptoms of viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, and was in good health, but during the physical examination, doctors did notice an expiratory wheeze in the middle and lower left lung. The boy's parents told doctors that he had been playing with a small whistle before the weird cough set it, but the chest x-ray revealed nothing abnormal. So a rigid bronchoscopy was performed and they found the problem- the boy had indeed swallowed the whistle and it was obstructing the airway that conducts air to the lungs. The whistle was carefully removed and a subsequent chest radiograph revealed that the hyperinflation of the left lung had returned to normal. But NO WHISTLES FOR YOU! (Oddity Central)

Having Trouble Conceiving? Try the Miracle House!

It once was just an ordinary 3-bedroom home in the suburbs of western Sydney. But ever since ash and oil began leaking from the walls in such a way that is reportedly "beyond science," homeowners, George and Lina Tannous, believe they are witnessing a sign from God and now call their home the "miracle house," claiming it can help couples become pregnant. There is even one instance of the house reportedly curing a woman's cancer. The mysterious oil first appeared in 2008, after George and Lina's 17-year-old son, Mike, was killed in a car accident. They believe that the oil is a manifestation of their son's spirit, and claim that over the years it has written his birth date on the walls using the oil, as well as a variety of Christian religious symbols. One of the first "miracles" attributed to the house was a woman who became pregnant with her third child after praying there, despite her doctors insisting that pregnancy was highly unlikely. A decade later, people from all around the world are still coming to visit the house which even has its own Facebook page. Sure there are plenty of skeptics, but to their credit, the Tannous' don't use their miracle house for profit or attention, even refusing to give interviews over the years, which has only strengthened some people's belief that this is a true miracle. (Oddity Central)

A Little Extra Trump Drama Courtesy of Illinois
Illinois' attorney general, Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, has announced a lawsuit accusing Trump Tower in Chicago of violating federal environmental laws through its use of the Chicago River. The Trump Organization claims the move is "motivated by politics" but Madigan is not seeking re-election in November. Reportedly, the 92-story residential building and hotel pulls almost 20 million gallons of water daily from the river to cool heating and ventilation systems before releasing it back at temperatures 35 degrees higher. Despite environmental laws requiring studies on the impact, including on fish, the suit claims no results have been presented. It also notes the building's "National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit" expired nearly a year ago. In a release, Madigan says, "Trump Tower continues to take millions of gallons of water from the Chicago River every day without a permit and without any regard to how it may be impacting the river's ecosystem. I filed my lawsuit to make sure Trump Tower cannot continue violating the law." Both the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club and Friends of the Chicago River announced in June that they were also planning to sue, but now will just work the attorney general's office. (NBC News)

Actually, You WON'T Be Moving to New Zealand
New Zealand home prices are among the highest in the world, and you won't be buying one anytime soon. That's because the just passed a law banning foreigners from buying homes there (with very few exceptions) in an attempt to drive the housing supply up and make homes more affordable for locals. Parliament passed the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill 63-57, with David Parker, associate minister of finance, telling the body, "We should not be tenants in our own land." Stats show just 25% of adult Kiwis own their own home, and homelessness is a big problem. Thanks to free-trade rules, buyers from Singapore and neighboring Australia are the only exemptions from the new law. Wait - New Zealanders are called Kiwis? (Guardian)

Never Underestimate the Power of a Hot Coffee Defense
In Millington, Michigan, a group of girls foiled a kidnapping attempt by throwing hot coffee on the male suspect who took off with authorities in hot pursuit. In the end, 22-year-old Bruce Hipkins was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault, battery, and criminal sexual conduct minutes after police say he assaulted four girls as they left a gas station convenience store. Eleven-year-old Allison Eickhoff told reporters, "He said, 'You're coming with me.' And like, he grabbed my face." Her 13-year-old sister, Lauraen, said, "Seeing that your little sister was going to get taken is very scary." She fought back with the only weapons she had: her fists, and a hot coffee. "I grabbed my drink and chucked it at his head," then "punched him in the head," she says. Her companions, ages 12 and 14, joined in kicking and punching the man until he let go of Allison. He then grabbed another girl by the hair but "was again kicked and hit by the girls until he let her go and fled on foot." Hipkins was arrested after the girls called for help from a nearby inn. Police say surveillance video shows him watching the girls inside the convenience store before following them out. Oh, and his mug shot show coffee stains all over his white T-shirt. (ABC News)

We 100% Support Law Enforcement... Well, Except This Guy
Anthony Doran was the Superior police commander at the Pinal County Sheriff's Office in Arizona - well, until he made the decision to film himself having sex in his office using a department body camera. He then stored the homemade porn on a department computer. Doran was the target of an administrative probe in March and a Superior police secretary discovered the sex video while conducting official business on Doran's computer. A deputy examined the computer's hard drive further and discovered a folder titled "fun times" containing over 36 gigabytes of images, including pornography, pictures of Doran's private parts, and pictures of a naked girl about age 5. Doran was fired and now under criminal investigation. He denies he was on duty when the video was filmed and says the child depicted in photos is his daughter, and the images were not prurient or illicit. He added that he was never given a chance to explain his side of the story, and the town manager refused to accept a resignation letter in lieu of firing. Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer confirmed the child was Doran's daughter. He said investigators and prosecutors concluded no felony charges were warranted. (Arizona Republic)

What the What?
A group of mysterious pink and red blobs in the Scottish Highlands have led to widespread speculation that alien lifeforms are finally here! Helen Dow, 50, uploaded the picture to Facebook last week and it kicked off a huge debate about what it could be. It was taken near the very remote Loch Etchachan and appears to show a beige colored body with red strands coming out of it. This has prompted several claims that the unidentified object could be an alien, a lost yeti or even a unicorn attack. Helen said people are still furiously debating the mysterious photo and she has no idea what it is. Seriously? Unicorn attack? Keep drinking Scotland. Keep drinking! (Metro)

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