WEIRD NEWS

Nightmare Bacteria is Here

They're called "nightmare bacteria" and they have an unusual resistance to antibiotics of last resort... and they were found more than 200 times in the US last year in a first-of-a-kind hunt to see how much of a threat these rare cases have become. That's more than health officials expected to find, and the true number is likely higher. The problem mostly strikes people in hospitals and nursing homes who need IVs and other contamination-prone tubes. Some 11% of those in close contact with these patients also harbored the superbugs even though they weren't sick - a risk for more spread. Some of the sick patients had traveled for surgery or other health care to countries where drug-resistant germs are more common, and the superbugs were discovered after they returned to the US. "Essentially, we found nightmare bacteria in your backyard," said the CDC's Anne Schuchat. About 2 million Americans get infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year and 23,000 die. The cases were scattered throughout 27 states. (Newser)

Never Tow a Tube Behind a Truck! 

In Sullivan, Ohio, 16-year-old Tommy Smithberger was an energetic sophomore who loved to play football at Black River High School. Then on Feb. 7, he had a terrible accident. He was on a tube, being pulled by a four-wheeler when he slammed into a tree. He said, "I just thought I got the wind knocked out of me, till that went away and then I thought I broke my ribs. And then, I couldn't feel my legs." Tommy injured his spinal cord and a surgeon predicted it would take five or six years for him to walk again. Black River assistant football coach Matt Stafford said he was devastated when he Tommy in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the waist down. Stafford said, "You feel sick to your stomach. And at that point right there, I just made a commitment that I'm going to do everything I can to get him back on his feet." The two have been working at the Black River gym seven days a week with truly astounding results. "His surgeon told him that he expects him to be in walking braces in 14 months. Tommy told the surgeon that he's going to do it in seven and that's our goal," Stafford said. Tommy said he plans to be back on the football field for his senior year. (FOX News)

Come at Me Bro!

Police in Murray, Utah say Alexis R. Payan-Martinez walked into a Maverik convenience store where he was caught on surveillance video grabbing a case of beer, raising a semiautomatic handgun to a customer and employee and saying, "come at me, bro." A few hours later, Unified Police responded to a carjacking where an officer recognized the suspect as the same person caught on video robbing the convenience store in Murray. Officers said it didn't take long for Payan-Martinez to admit to robbing the convenience store. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for aggravated robbery. Or in other words, they came at you, bro! (Fox13)

Red Carpet Selfies Banned!

Want to take a selfie on the red carpet during the Cannes Film Festival? Too bad! Red-carpet selfies will be banned at this year's star-studded event and violators won't be let in to see films. When festivalgoers take selfies as they climb the carpeted stairs to the French Riviera venue, he said everything becomes "disorganized" and the program "runs late." But as guardian of one of the world's most glamorous cultural events, Thierry Fremaux also has aesthetic concerns. He says, "It's not beautiful. It's grotesque. It's ridiculous. ... We want to restore a bit of decency." He also said that Netflix movies will be banned from competition at this year's festival, which runs May 8-19. (Newser)

The Horror of Ancestry.com

Kelli Rowlette thought she knew who her biological father was. So when Ancestry.com showed her DNA matched a sample from a retired fertility doctor, she assumed it was a mistake. Then she learned the same doctor had artificially inseminated her mother with his own sperm and delivered Rowlette - his biological daughter - in May 1981! Then came the big lawsuit alleging medical negligence, fraud, and breach of contract. Idaho doctor Gerald Mortimer consulted with Rowlette's parents, Sally Ashby and Howard Fowler, who were having trouble getting pregnant, and agreed to inseminate Ashby with sperm from Fowler and a college student donor who had similar traits. Instead, Mortimer allegedly used his own sperm - believe it or not - with his practice's knowledge. He then kept his information from the family for decades. The suit reads: "Dr. Mortimer knew Kelli Rowlette was his biological daughter but did not disclose this to Ms. Ashby or Mr. Fowler." The suit also names Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates of Idaho Falls. Rowlette only learned what had happened after finding the name of her Ancestry.com connection on her birth certificate. She was "horrified" and contacted her parents "in a panic. " According to the suit; until that point, she knew nothing of the artificial insemination. The suit says all three are now "suffering immeasurably." (Washington Post)

Have All of Our Teens Gone Mad?

On the cusp of the "condom snorting challenge" and "Tide pod challenge" comes another viral teen trend that's taking over the Internet. Teens and young adults are apparently attempting to hide out in chain stores and restaurants, in what is being called the "24-hour overnight challenge" - with everything from Chuck E. Cheese's to McDonalds to Ikea being called fair game. The goal of the new fad, which apparently started with two Belgian teens in 2016, is to sneak inside a store or restaurant just before closing time, and remain there undetected until the next day. A quick YouTube search returned more than 1.6 million results, as people document their adventures from inside a Toys R Us, Best Buy and even a trampoline park. Retailers and police are trying to crack down on the sleepovers, citing safety concerns and the worry it causes to parents. It is very illegal and could get you into a heap of trouble! (FOX News)

What the What?

It was 17 years ago that Nick Burchill was staying at the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, Canada, for a business meeting. It seems he had a suitcase full of pepperoni which he planned on sending to his friends in the Navy. But to stop it from spoiling in his warm room, he opened the window to let the cool air keep the meat fresh. Well he not only let in cool air, but also about 40 seagulls that were waiting with bated breath and descended on the meat feast. Of course also left behind was a "tornado of seagull excrement, feathers and pepperoni chunks." As a result, Burchill was banned from the hotel chain for almost 18 years. But after nearly two decades, he returned to apologize and beg them forgiveness. And it turns out the hotel was in a forgiving mood - Burchill said the manager lifted the ban and he "will once again be welcome as a guest." He also gave them a pound of pepperoni as a peace offering. (Metro)

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