WEIRD NEWS

Awwwww! Ain't That Sweet!

In New York City, Kara Mullins and Osvaldo "OJ" Jimenez just got married, on the very city bus where they met 13 years ago. Fifty guests along with random passengers watched the wedding last Sunday. Jimenez told Mullins, "I'm glad I found my way to you." Mullins told her groom, "I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." A video of the ceremony aired on TV station NY1. Jimenez first spotted his future bride 13 years ago on an M14, a Manhattan local crosstown bus. He said when he suggested getting married on the same bus Kara replied, "Heck, yeah, let's do it." A friend performed the ceremony as a Universal Life minister. (Newser)

TB in Texas?

George Bush is back in the news - George Bush High School that is. The school in Fort Bend, Texas is facing a serious tuberculosis outbreak as they head into the new school year. Screenings of students and faculty have revealed 20 active cases of TB. Students and faculty were told they must come in for testing over the summer or would not be allowed to start the school year. According to the Houston Chronicle, 228 students and staff were tested in the first round on June 19, revealing 10 active cases of TB. Another 10 active cases were discovered among 559 students and staff during a second round of screening on Aug. 3. Treatment of TB can last for up to two years. However, untreatable strains of TB are increasingly common and have been found in Fort Bend County in the past. (KHOU News)

Fighting the Alt-Right with Dog Poop?

There was a planned Alt-Right rally over the weekend on a San Francisco beach called Crissy Field. Anti-Alt-right protesters decided to make the beach somewhat unpleasant for rally-goers by organizing dog walkers to let their dogs poop all over the beach. An event was started called "Leave your dog poop on Crissy Field." The dog walkers would then regroup on Sunday to clean up the poop. The idea got a lot of support with one father even asking if it was okay to unload his baby's diaper because he didn't have a dog. However others criticized the idea saying the area should be kept beautiful. Still others suggested retaliating by picking up the dog mess and throwing it onto the streets of San Francisco. America's really fun right now, huh? (Metro)

Well, At Least We're Now Millionaires

It's one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American history. Dan and Fran Keller spent more than 21 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of sexually abusing children during satanic rituals at their daycare in 1992. They were released from prison in 2013, had their convictions overturned in 2015, and were declared innocent in the eyes of the law last June. Since being released from prison, Fran Keller says it has been difficult to find work because of their ages - 67 and 75 - and wrongful imprisonment. That won't be a problem now as the state of Texas is paying them $3.4 million. Keller says, "This means we don't have to worry about pinching pennies and late bills. It means we will actually be free. We can start living." The Kellers were accused by three children in 1991 of dismembering babies, torturing pets, and holding orgies at their daycare. The case against them fell apart two decades later when the doctor who found the only piece of physical evidence of abuse admitted it was the result of a mistake and recanted. The alleged victim also admitted she had no actual memory of being abused. Hampton says the couple fell victim to the "satanic panic" of the early 1990s. (Austin American-Statesman)

Thanks to Amazon, You May Now Be Able to Afford Whole Foods!

Amazon wants to make those "Whole Paycheck" jokes about Whole Foods a thing of the past. Expected to wrap up the acquisition of Whole Foods today (Monday), Amazon says they will immediately begin lowering prices on a number of products at Whole Foods, including eggs, salmon, avocados, kale, ground beef, apples, rotisserie chicken, and almond butter. Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke said in a statement, "Everybody should be able to eat Whole Foods Market quality." Amazon says further price cuts are expected in the future in addition to deals and benefits to Prime members. It will also install lockers for picking up and returning Amazon purchases at some Whole Foods locations. And items from Whole Foods' own brands will be available for purchase on Amazon. The FTC and shareholders approved Amazon's $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods last week. (CNET)

When You Find Out Your Name is Racist

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, the lead judge on Bravo's Top Chef, has spent tens of thousands of dollars to quietly change the name of his Manhattan restaurant after he discovered its meaning had racial undertones. His eatery in New York City's financial district was originally called Fowler & Wells, named after publishers Samuel Wells and brothers Lorenzo and Orson Fowler, whose building rested on the same site as the restaurant in the mid-1800s. However, a little digging by Colicchio's team revealed what they called "facts about [the Fowlers' and Wells'] beliefs that go against everything we stand for." It seems the Fowlers and Wells were advocates of phrenology, the study of the shape and size of the skull, which many in the 19th century believed to be an indicator of one's mental abilities - and which was often used to "prove" African-Americans were mentally inferior and to justify slavery. Once they made this discovery, they immediately came up with a new name and began reworking logos, signage, business cards, and even menus. The restaurant's new name: Temple Court, named after the building it's housed in. (New York Times)

What the What?

By now you know about the Donald Trump rally held by the president last Tuesday in downtown Phoenix. Of course there were also those who wanted to protest the rally and began posting on social media about where to meet up and what to bring to the "Protest Trump Downtown Phoenix" event. But one comment appeared that wasn't like the others - a comment from a guy named James Cobo. Cobo wrote: "You are all pathetic. Cant wait to drive through. 4x4 with push bumper will be sweet in this crowd. I named my lifted truck 'trumper!' " That proved to be a really bad idea as people began taking screenshots of the post, researching the man who posted it and contacting companies that could be his employer. Less than 24 hours later, West Valley Tires Point S, an automotive-services store in Buckeye, a city about 40 miles west of downtown Phoenix, posted to Facebook condemning the threat and distancing itself from Cobo. A few days later he was fired. The company then issued a statement reading: "West Valley Tires Point S wants to publicly state we do not condone or support violence or prejudice in anyway shape or form. We were recently made aware of an employee that posted outrageous posts and videos that are in no way affiliated with the positive views, values and appreciation we have for people in our community and throughout the world. That person is no longer affiliated with West Valley Tires Point S." Now Cobo is back peddling big time saying, "I'm being made into a horrible person over a joke that was just meant to ruffle some feathers. I admit it was a tasteless joke, but keyword here is it was a joke. If anybody was ever going to go and intentionally hurt people, why would they talk about it on social media publicly before doing it?" Still, Cobo stands by what he said, even after losing his job and receiving multiple death threats. He has since bought security cameras for his home and told reporters: "I never hurt anybody, nor did I have the intent to. I never said I was actually going to hit anybody with a vehicle. They assumed it. Never would have thought it would be a big deal. I still can't figure out why I'm being called a racist. I've never even said anything racist. This is not how America is supposed to work." (AZ Central)

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