WEIRD NEWS
There's No Place Like Home... Except for Women
According to a new study from the UN, the most dangerous place to be if you're a woman is... at home! Out of an estimated 87,000 women killed last year, some 58 percent - or close to 50,000 - were killed by partners or family members at home. More than a third of the women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by a current or former partner, and 137 women are killed by family members every day, according to the report. While the majority of intentional homicide victims are male and killed by strangers, women are far more likely to die at the hands of someone they know. UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said women "continue to pay the highest price as a result of gender inequality, discrimination and negative stereotypes" and that gender-based homicide is a "lethal act on a continuum of gender-based discrimination and abuse." The study, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, looked at homicide data related to gender violence and "femicide," a term understood as a gender-based hate crime perpetrated by men. The new study has called for a series of measures to combat the global problem, including coordination between police, the criminal justice system, health and social services, and involving men more in addressing the problem. (CNN)
Idiot with a Cellphone
Yogvedant Poddar, a passenger of an Indian airline managed to get himself kicked off the plane after having some fun with his cell phone. While in his seat, the idiot tied a handkerchief around his face and then posted the image on Snapchat with the caption: "Terrorist on flight, I destroy women's hearts." As hilarious as I'm sure we all think that is, not so much for the airline. This all went down while the plane was taxiing to the runway. A crew member informed the pilot who contacted air traffic controllers and turned the plane around. Funny Mr. Poddar was arrested and taken away by police. He was later released without being charged. Incidentally, he was on his way to a job interview. We're guessing he doesn't get the job. I can just hear the captain now, "Don't make me turn this plane around!" (Independent)
You Can Still Be the First to Swim Across the Pacific
Good news if you want to be the first human to swim across the Pacific Ocean. French-American Ben Lecomte has given up his attempt to do so after a storm broke the mainsail of his support ship. Lecomte, who had completed about 1,500 nautical miles of the more than 5,000-mile journey, called the premature end to the swim a deep disappointment, saying, "We've faced treacherous winds, rain, and ocean swells that have forced us to alter our course, and the irreparable damage to the sail is an insurmountable blow." Lecomte, of Austin, Texas, set out on June 5 from Japan's Pacific coast and was swimming an average of eight hours a day. Violent storms had already forced him to interrupt the swim after 500 nautical miles and return to Japan in late July. The mainsail broke on Nov. 10. The damaged ship and Lecomte are slowly making their way to Hawaii. They are collecting data on plastic pollution in the ocean, one of the scientific aims of the swim. Now age 51, 20 years ago Lecomte did successfully swim across the Atlantic Ocean, managing 4,000 miles in 73 days. When he reached France's shores, his first words were reportedly "never again." (Newser)
The Nicest Stranger in the World
Few things feel worse than realizing you've lost your wallet - the one holding your ID, a signed paycheck, your debit card, and $60 in cash. But for 20-year-old Hunter Shamatt, that mishap has the most heartwarming of endings. He was heading to his sister's Vegas wedding when he deplaned in Denver without his wallet. Fortunately for him, it was found by the nicest stranger in the world who sent it back along with this note: "Found this on a Frontier flight from Omaha to Denver-row 12, seat F wedged between the seat and wall. Thought you might want it back. All the best. TB. PS: I rounded your cash up to an even $100 so you could celebrate getting your wallet back. Have fun!!!" A Facebook post from Shamatt's mom noted the envelope's return address listed Applied Underwriters of Omaha. The company's brand manager reached out to employee TB-that's Todd Brown-and put him in contact with a very grateful Shamatt and his mom. As for Brown's motivation for slipping in some extra cash, he says, "I was 20 once, and that's a lot of money for a kid." It's also a sort of habit: "When I send my mom a card, I still put a dollar in there because it feels good when you open it." (Yahoo Lifestyle)
Buried
In Modesto, California, a woman went to bury her dead pet in her backyard, and instead dug up a mystery-literally. She hit on something that seemed to be human bones. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department verified the remains were indeed human, and detective subsequently exhumed what a "decomposing body." Police believe the body had been there for several months at least and say while the woman had a connection to the house, she had only moved in a short while ago. An identification and cause of death are pending. (KCRA)
Oh My God He's Back
Just when you thought it was safe to surf cable TV again - okay, maybe you never felt like that - well, anyway, Jerry Springer is back! Don't worry - it won't be the vulgar slugfest he's known for. Now, he'll be known as Judge Jerry! Yes, you probably know Springer also has a law degree and he'll be putting it to good use back in daytime syndication. It will be a daily, first-run half-hour court program debuting in national syndication in the fall of next year. Springer said, "For the first time in my life, I am going to be called honorable. My career is coming full circle and I finally get to put my law degree to use after all these years." A statement promises Springer will preside over cases and then "render a verdict with a fair yet firm hand and always leave litigants with a dose of classic Springer wisdom." (Deadline)
Well... Would You Want a Raw Potato?
In the small town of Yulee, Florida, police have arrested 6-year-old Kenneth Crumpton who has been charged with stabbing a woman in the head after an argument - an argument over a potato. Deputies said Crumpton was apparently angry about his baked potato being undercooked so decided multiple stab wounds would be justified. It couldn't have been too bad as the woman refused treatment from doctors. Still, Crumpton was booked into the Nassau County Jail. See story #1. (WJAX)
All the Compassion of SATAN!
Police in Phoenix arrested 36-year-old John Adam Bachler and charged him who allegedly decided to clean up the homeless problem in his neighborhood - by killing a homeless man. Joshua Jackson was found shot to death inside a drainage pipe and police believe he was killed between 6:30 p.m. on July 3 and 8 a.m. on July 4. Investigators discovered that Bachler lived nearby and had become increasingly upset at the number of homeless people in the area and made threats that he would "kill a transient if he could get away with it." He also lied about owning a gun. Eventually Bachler admitted to shooting the victim but said it was an accident. He also said he knew what he did was wrong and asked investigators to tell Jackson's parents he was sorry for what did. He was booked on one count of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated harassment for sending text messages to his ex-wife who has an order of protection against him. (AZFamily .com)
What the What?
Police in Wilbraham, Massachusetts were called to a Home Depot after a security officer was threatened by a man suspected of shoplifting. By the time they got there, the suspects had fled in a black Dodge pickup. But soon after, officers spotted and pulled over the vehicle, and arrested the driver. But get this- while they were making the arrest, a passenger in the vehicle jumped into the driver's seat and took off. At the same time, another passenger ran from the truck on foot but was quickly captured and arrested. Police later learned the passenger who drove off offered the driver narcotics in exchange for a ride and the two do not know each other. That man is now wanted on multiple charges. He was recorded on the store camera and police are asking the public in helping identify him. (MassLive.com)
According to a new study from the UN, the most dangerous place to be if you're a woman is... at home! Out of an estimated 87,000 women killed last year, some 58 percent - or close to 50,000 - were killed by partners or family members at home. More than a third of the women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by a current or former partner, and 137 women are killed by family members every day, according to the report. While the majority of intentional homicide victims are male and killed by strangers, women are far more likely to die at the hands of someone they know. UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said women "continue to pay the highest price as a result of gender inequality, discrimination and negative stereotypes" and that gender-based homicide is a "lethal act on a continuum of gender-based discrimination and abuse." The study, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, looked at homicide data related to gender violence and "femicide," a term understood as a gender-based hate crime perpetrated by men. The new study has called for a series of measures to combat the global problem, including coordination between police, the criminal justice system, health and social services, and involving men more in addressing the problem. (CNN)
Idiot with a Cellphone
Yogvedant Poddar, a passenger of an Indian airline managed to get himself kicked off the plane after having some fun with his cell phone. While in his seat, the idiot tied a handkerchief around his face and then posted the image on Snapchat with the caption: "Terrorist on flight, I destroy women's hearts." As hilarious as I'm sure we all think that is, not so much for the airline. This all went down while the plane was taxiing to the runway. A crew member informed the pilot who contacted air traffic controllers and turned the plane around. Funny Mr. Poddar was arrested and taken away by police. He was later released without being charged. Incidentally, he was on his way to a job interview. We're guessing he doesn't get the job. I can just hear the captain now, "Don't make me turn this plane around!" (Independent)
You Can Still Be the First to Swim Across the Pacific
Good news if you want to be the first human to swim across the Pacific Ocean. French-American Ben Lecomte has given up his attempt to do so after a storm broke the mainsail of his support ship. Lecomte, who had completed about 1,500 nautical miles of the more than 5,000-mile journey, called the premature end to the swim a deep disappointment, saying, "We've faced treacherous winds, rain, and ocean swells that have forced us to alter our course, and the irreparable damage to the sail is an insurmountable blow." Lecomte, of Austin, Texas, set out on June 5 from Japan's Pacific coast and was swimming an average of eight hours a day. Violent storms had already forced him to interrupt the swim after 500 nautical miles and return to Japan in late July. The mainsail broke on Nov. 10. The damaged ship and Lecomte are slowly making their way to Hawaii. They are collecting data on plastic pollution in the ocean, one of the scientific aims of the swim. Now age 51, 20 years ago Lecomte did successfully swim across the Atlantic Ocean, managing 4,000 miles in 73 days. When he reached France's shores, his first words were reportedly "never again." (Newser)
The Nicest Stranger in the World
Few things feel worse than realizing you've lost your wallet - the one holding your ID, a signed paycheck, your debit card, and $60 in cash. But for 20-year-old Hunter Shamatt, that mishap has the most heartwarming of endings. He was heading to his sister's Vegas wedding when he deplaned in Denver without his wallet. Fortunately for him, it was found by the nicest stranger in the world who sent it back along with this note: "Found this on a Frontier flight from Omaha to Denver-row 12, seat F wedged between the seat and wall. Thought you might want it back. All the best. TB. PS: I rounded your cash up to an even $100 so you could celebrate getting your wallet back. Have fun!!!" A Facebook post from Shamatt's mom noted the envelope's return address listed Applied Underwriters of Omaha. The company's brand manager reached out to employee TB-that's Todd Brown-and put him in contact with a very grateful Shamatt and his mom. As for Brown's motivation for slipping in some extra cash, he says, "I was 20 once, and that's a lot of money for a kid." It's also a sort of habit: "When I send my mom a card, I still put a dollar in there because it feels good when you open it." (Yahoo Lifestyle)
Buried
In Modesto, California, a woman went to bury her dead pet in her backyard, and instead dug up a mystery-literally. She hit on something that seemed to be human bones. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department verified the remains were indeed human, and detective subsequently exhumed what a "decomposing body." Police believe the body had been there for several months at least and say while the woman had a connection to the house, she had only moved in a short while ago. An identification and cause of death are pending. (KCRA)
Oh My God He's Back
Just when you thought it was safe to surf cable TV again - okay, maybe you never felt like that - well, anyway, Jerry Springer is back! Don't worry - it won't be the vulgar slugfest he's known for. Now, he'll be known as Judge Jerry! Yes, you probably know Springer also has a law degree and he'll be putting it to good use back in daytime syndication. It will be a daily, first-run half-hour court program debuting in national syndication in the fall of next year. Springer said, "For the first time in my life, I am going to be called honorable. My career is coming full circle and I finally get to put my law degree to use after all these years." A statement promises Springer will preside over cases and then "render a verdict with a fair yet firm hand and always leave litigants with a dose of classic Springer wisdom." (Deadline)
Well... Would You Want a Raw Potato?
In the small town of Yulee, Florida, police have arrested 6-year-old Kenneth Crumpton who has been charged with stabbing a woman in the head after an argument - an argument over a potato. Deputies said Crumpton was apparently angry about his baked potato being undercooked so decided multiple stab wounds would be justified. It couldn't have been too bad as the woman refused treatment from doctors. Still, Crumpton was booked into the Nassau County Jail. See story #1. (WJAX)
All the Compassion of SATAN!
Police in Phoenix arrested 36-year-old John Adam Bachler and charged him who allegedly decided to clean up the homeless problem in his neighborhood - by killing a homeless man. Joshua Jackson was found shot to death inside a drainage pipe and police believe he was killed between 6:30 p.m. on July 3 and 8 a.m. on July 4. Investigators discovered that Bachler lived nearby and had become increasingly upset at the number of homeless people in the area and made threats that he would "kill a transient if he could get away with it." He also lied about owning a gun. Eventually Bachler admitted to shooting the victim but said it was an accident. He also said he knew what he did was wrong and asked investigators to tell Jackson's parents he was sorry for what did. He was booked on one count of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated harassment for sending text messages to his ex-wife who has an order of protection against him. (AZFamily .com)
What the What?
Police in Wilbraham, Massachusetts were called to a Home Depot after a security officer was threatened by a man suspected of shoplifting. By the time they got there, the suspects had fled in a black Dodge pickup. But soon after, officers spotted and pulled over the vehicle, and arrested the driver. But get this- while they were making the arrest, a passenger in the vehicle jumped into the driver's seat and took off. At the same time, another passenger ran from the truck on foot but was quickly captured and arrested. Police later learned the passenger who drove off offered the driver narcotics in exchange for a ride and the two do not know each other. That man is now wanted on multiple charges. He was recorded on the store camera and police are asking the public in helping identify him. (MassLive.com)
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